A trug is a shallow open box with two shaped ends you can get a grip on. The traditional version is built from steamed and cleft strips bent around formers, which is out of reach for most home shops. This one gets the same shape and the same rain-shedding lap joints from straight softwood slats screwed to plywood ends: stiff enough for the weight of a trug's contents, and buildable with a saw, a drill and a coping saw.

A Pine and Plywood Garden Trug

What you need

1 600 x 300 x 18mm exterior-grade plywood offcut cut into two 280 x 240mm end panels
2 lengths 2.4m x 94 x 18mm PSE softwood (nominal 4x1in) cut into nine 500mm slats: six for the sides, three for the base
1 small bottle exterior PVA glue (Type D3 or D4) for the overlap joints
1 box 40mm stainless or brass screws corrosion-resistant, since this stays outdoors
1 sheet 120-grit sandpaper
1 can exterior oil finish (Danish oil or boiled linseed oil)

Step by step

Mark and cut the two end panels to 280 x 240mm from the plywood offcut.
15 min
On each panel, draw a handle slot 130 x 35mm, centred, with its top edge 30mm down from the panel's top. Round the panel's top two corners to a gentle curve.
15 min
Drill a 12mm starter hole at each end of the handle slot, then cut between them with a coping saw or jigsaw to open the slot. Clamp the panel to the bench rather than holding it while you cut.
20 min
Round over the edges of the handle slot and the panel's top curve with a rasp and sandpaper so it is comfortable to grip.
15 min
Cut the softwood into nine 500mm slats: six for the sides and three for the base. Clamp a stop block to the mitre saw fence set to 500mm so every slat comes off the same length without re-measuring.
25 min
Stand the two end panels on their bottom edges, 500mm apart. Pre-drill and countersink, then screw the first side slat's ends flush with the base line into each panel's edge, gluing as you go.
20 min
Add the remaining two slats to each side, overlapping the slat below by 20mm like a weatherboard so rain sheds outward. Glue and screw through each overlap into the panel edge.
35 min
Trim any slat ends that sit proud of the end panels flush with a block plane.
15 min
Fit the three base slats across the bottom edges of the end panels, leaving a 5mm gap between each for drainage.
20 min
Let the glue cure fully, then sand all surfaces and edges to 120 grit, breaking every sharp edge you can reach by hand.
20 min
Apply the exterior oil finish following the can's recoat times, with a light sand between coats.
20 min

Afterwards

Let the glue cure for 24 hours before loading the trug with anything heavy, and let the final oil coat cure fully, per the can, before leaving it outside. Wipe out wet soil or plant matter after use rather than leaving it to sit on the base slats, and check the overlap joints each spring for cracked glue lines or screws that have worked loose. Recoat with oil once a year, or sooner if the wood starts to grey.

Questions

Can I use a jigsaw instead of a coping saw for the handle slot?

Yes, a jigsaw with a narrow blade does it faster. Clamp the panel down either way so the blade cannot walk sideways into the hand holding the work.

Will pine last outside without rotting?

Not indefinitely without upkeep. An exterior oil finish recoated once a year will get several years out of it. For longer life with less maintenance, build the slats and panels from cedar or another naturally rot-resistant softwood instead.

Why leave gaps in the base instead of a solid floor?

Wet produce, cut flowers and pulled weeds all sweat. The gaps let water and soil drain through instead of sitting against the base slats and rotting them from the inside.