Furniture Plans: Sandbox with a Breathable Cat Cover

A sandbox with a breathable cat cover isn't exactly furniture plans, but hey, it involves wood and tools, so I'll post the plans!

I never wanted a sandbox. In fact, a couple years ago I swore I would never get one. Our neighbors a few houses away have a sandbox and every time my kids went over there to play they spent hours in the sandbox. I decided that the mess of a sandbox is worth the trade of sandy, dirty children. So I told TJ I wanted one, and he made it happen. We bought four, eight feet long 2x12's. We stained them, screwed them together and ordered the sand. We calculated the cost of buying the bags of sand from the home improvement stores. It was going to be over $300 and we didn't know how the heck we would fit the bags in our car. Then we called around to our local material supplier. The sand was ¼ the price of the home improvement stores and they offered delivery! Sold.

I also researched the best way to make a nice cover for the sandbox. For the cover, I bought a mesh tarp. It's nice and breathable so the sand can dry out, but the holes are small enough that the sand doesn't blow out. Then, I screwed in one side of it so it's permanently attached to the sandbox. On the other three sides, I bought bungee rope and ran it through all the grommets on the tarp. Last, I installed two hooks on each of the three sides so you can pull the bungee rope down over the hook. The cover stays on perfectly!

The sandbox is huge! I'm really happy with the size. We can fit our kids plus all the neighbor kids (or visiting cousins) without any problems. There's plenty of space for everyone. I never thought I'd say it, but I love having a giant sandbox!

Cost: $250

Dimensions
The overall outside dimensions are 8-foot by 8-foot 3 inches

Time: 2-4 hours

Difficulty: Easy

Tools Required

• Drill and driver* 

*Driver is not required, but is recommended to drive the screws 

Lumber and Materials

• (4) 2 x 12 x 8 feet (Redwood (recommended)* $19.98/each or Douglas Fir Lumber $10.22/each) 
• Grip-Rite PTN4S1 4-Inch 10 Coarse Thread Exterior Screw with Bugle Head, 1 Pound $12 
• Stain and outdoor sealer $15 
• 2 tons of sand** (10 inches of sand = 10”/12” x 8’ x 8’ = 53.3 cf/27 cf per cy = 2 cy) (ours was $30 per ton with $30 for delivery) 
• 10X10 Golden Tan Sun Shade Screen Mesh Tarp $37.50 
• 1/4" x 100 FT. Shock Cord - BLK $27.00 (I know 100 feet is way too long, but this is the best price I could find)
• Cup hooks $5 
• 1 ½-inch screws with washers $5 

*Redwood board is a durable, weather-tolerant and termite-resistant wood known for its strength and beauty. It is ideal for use in many outdoor projects.

**Here is a website to calculate the weight of the sand

Consumable

• Paint brush 

STEPS:
1. Stain (if desired) and seal to the wood. It is much easier to do this before you assemble the pieces. Apply two coats.

2. Drill pilot holes with a 1/8-inch drill bit. Screw the 4 eight-foot 2x12s together with 4-inch exterior screws.

3. Place the sandbox on a flat surface. You may want to dig a little down to get the bottom of the 2x12 a little bit below the dirt. I think it looks a little better to have the edges a little below the surface.

4. Have the sand dumped in the box. Spread the sand with shovels and rakes.

5. Attach the 10x10 mesh tarp to one side (center it so it has equal hangover on all the sides) with 1 ½-inch screws with washers bigger than the grommets.

6. Place about three cup hooks on the remaining three sides about two-thirds down the box (the bungee cord will attached to the hooks). These can twisted in by hand.



7. String the ¼-inch bungee cord through the grommets. Tie the bungee cord on one side and string it around. Pull it tight so it has some tension and then tie it on the other side.

8. You’re done. Enjoy the cat free sandbox!