Wishing well offers refreshing addition

This do-it-yourself wishing well can make your wish for a refreshing backyard retreat come true. Even though it doesn’t hold water, the project creates an instant sanctuary perfect for relaxing. Just set it up in a shady spot, fill it with plants and flowers and add a couple of comfortable seats.

What you need

The wishing well is easy enough for most woodworkers. The key to the project is the construction of the wall: the “bricks” are cut from standard 2-by-4s and laid out on a template using glue and nails, so there’s no masonry involved.

The rest of the project is built from standard 4-by-6 and 2-by-6 lumber, plus a single 4-by-8 sheet of exterior plywood for the roof. Redwood, cedar or even pressure-treated lumber work well, because all three withstand the elements and require little maintenance. The well can be finished clear (as pictured) or painted to match the house.

The wishing well measures 4 feet in diameter and almost 7 feet tall, and the design includes authentic finishing touches like a bucket and an operating windlass and crank handle.

How to order the plan

The Wishing Well plan, No. 371, is $9.95 and includes complete step-by-step instructions with photos, full-size traceable patterns, a shopping list and cutting schedule and a toll-free help line.

A package of wishing well plans, No. C126, is $16.95 and includes this project plus plans for a smaller wishing well. A catalog picturing hundreds of projects is $2. Please include $4 for postage and handling (except catalog-only orders) and allow two weeks for delivery.

To order by mail, clip this article and send it with a check or money order to U-Bild Features, c/o The Spokesman-Review, 15241 Stagg St., Van Nuys, CA 91405.

To order by credit card, call (800) 828-2453. Visit U-Bild on the web at u-bild.com.