How To Turn An IKEA TROFAST Into The Cutest Mobile Vegetable Garden

Planters on wheels are so handy that you might wonder why all planters don't have this smart feature. If you've got a hankering to create your own patio vegetable garden, IKEA's KNAGGLIG is a blank slate of a wooden crate that morphs into a wheelie planter with a few easy steps. Line this untreated wood box with IKEA's perfectly-sized TROFAST bin, pop some casters on it, and fill the lot with potting soil and tasty edible plants. Along with these supplies, grab a drill, a screwdriver or screwdriver drill bit, and some paint to get started on your mobile garden.

Treat your KNAGGLIG to the paint color of your choice. Make sure the paint is non-toxic; your veg will likely come into contact with it unless you line the crate with another material like the TROFAST. Since the TROFAST comes in summery sorbet colors like lilac, light blue, and light green, forgo painting it. Instead, pick a complementary paint color for the crate to create a visually pleasing effect. 

Flip over the painted crate, and screw a caster onto each of the four corners of the base. Next, you'll want to drill a few drainage holes in the bottom of the plastic bin. Fill the bin with soil, and group together vegetables, herbs, and even edible flowers that all have similar light requirements. Roll your planter into a warm sunbeam, or keep it under shade if that's what your chosen plants need.

Wheels are practically synonymous with mobility, but really, they're not necessary for this portable garden. While the KNAGGLIG is perfect as part of this genius rolling planter, it's also portable as is. Its manageable size and well-placed hand grips make this garden project movable enough (depending on the weight of possibly damp soil combined with plants) to place atop outdoor tables or to lift and shift with the sun's changing angle.

The TROFAST is affordable at $4, but instead, save that bit of cash by lining the crate with cloth. Burlap, landscaping fabric, or best of all, upcycled fabrics will make your movable garden more eco-friendly. You could even repurpose an old tablecloth as a sustainable liner. If you already have a bin that fits, or if you score a thrifted one, drill some drainage holes and use it for further savings and extra durability over a cloth-lined crate.

If you already have a wooden crate that's underused, or if you find one second-hand, why not mobilize it? Outfit it with casters and a new tint, and it'll be a lovely, possibly cheaper, version of this IKEA hack. Do keep in mind that other types of crates may be made with treated wood or covered with potentially toxic paint. It might help you rest easy to plant non-edibles in a planter made from one of these crates.