How to Make a Garden Hose Reel From Wood

Spending the time to make a garden hose reel from wood can prevent the frustration that invariably comes from struggling to untangle the water hose every time you need to water the plants. A wooden garden hose reel will be sturdier than most of those available at a home improvement store and will cost less.

Things Needed:

• 3/4-inch plywood, two pieces measuring 24 inches by 24 inches


• 18-inch long piece of string


• Yardstick


• Ruler


• Thumbtack


• Pencil


• Two C-clamps


• Jigsaw


• Drill


• 1-inch hole saw bit for wood


• Eight wooden dowels measuring 8 inches long and 1 inch in diameter


• Hammer


• Wood glue


• Paint


• Angle bracket


• Drill


• Screws and anchors

1. Use the yardstick to draw two diagonal lines all the way across one piece of the plywood forming an "X." The middle of the board is where the lines intersect.


2. Tie one end of the string around the thumbtack, and stick it into the wood directly over the intersection of the "X."


3. Tie the other end of the string to a pencil making sure that it reaches to the edge of the wood, but not beyond it. Use the pencil with the string held tight to draw a 24-inch circle on the plywood.


4. Untie the pencil from the string. Shorten the string to a length of 4 inches, and reattach the pencil. With the thumbtack still in the middle of the "X," draw a second circle. This will create another circle 8 inches in diameter.


5. Mark the four locations where the "X" crosses the smaller circle.


6. Use the ruler to connect the four points making a square, and then find and mark the midpoint of each line.


7. Use the ruler to connect the opposite midpoints on each side of the square. Extend the lines out through the smaller circle. You will be making a "+" and creating a total of eight points on the smaller circle.


8. Stack this piece of plywood on top of the other making sure that the markings are visible. Clamp them together with the C-clamps.


9. Use the jigsaw to cut through both plywood squares following the line of the large circle.


10. Without unclamping the plywood circles, use the 1-inch hole saw bit to drill holes through the plywood at the eights points marked on the smaller circle, then drill one more hole at the center of the "X" to hang the reel.


11. Remove the clamps.


12. Apply wood glue to one end of a dowel rod. Place it into a hole on one of the plywood circles. Hammer the dowel rod until it is flush with the outer surface of the plywood. Repeat for remaining dowel rods.


13. Apply wood glue to the opposite ends of the dowel rods. Set the other plywood circle on top lining up the holes. Tap the plywood circle with the hammer until all of the dowel rods sit flush with the surface.


14. Clean off excess glue and allow to dry for 24 hours.


15. Paint the reel to seal the wood, and allow it to dry completely before using.


16. Mount the angle bracket to the wall using the appropriate screws and anchors. Position the garden hose reel so that the center holes line up with the horizontal arm of the angle bracket, and slide it on to hang the reel.


17. Wrap the garden hose around the wooden dowels starting at one end and working your way across. When you reach the opposite end, begin winding the hose back over the previous layer in the opposite direction. Repeat the process to neatly store the garden hose and keep it ready to use.