Easily Sift Gravel Out Of Soil Or Sand With A Simple DIY Solution

A garden bed of stone-filled soil makes growing anything tricky, as does gravel-laden compost. If you're refreshing a cobbled path or pebbled patio, you're probably looking for a genius hack that makes refreshing dirty gravel oh-so-convenient and leaves you with reusable sand. What you need is a sieve so you can separate the gravel from the useful sand or soil. To craft your own, all you need to do is build a simple frame from wood planks, attach a sheet of steel mesh to it, and top that with more wood planks. This technique keeps the mesh from slipping out under the weight of the dirt, compost, sand, or gravel you sift through it.

This is a utilitarian DIY product, so feel free to use any scrap wood you have lying around, though 2 x 4 planks are the most flexible option. How many planks you need really depends on the size you want your sieve to be, the mesh sheet you're using (if you already have one), or the rim dimensions of your wheelbarrow bucket if you plan to sit the sieve atop it. Hardware cloth in any relatively small size, like 1 by 1-inch squares or below, is the ideal product for the screen. It's relatively cost-effective — a 16-inch x 20-foot roll of HIHADUUM 1/4 Inch 23 Gauge Hot-dip Galvanized Hardware Cloth costs just $25. It could even be a way to repurpose those old window screens you've been saving after that recent renovation, provided the holes in the mesh aren't too small.

Cut your 2 x 4s or other wood planks to fit the dimensions of your wheelbarrow or mesh screen. Using screws longer than the width of your planks, screw the two short and two long planks together at the corners to form a rectangular or square base frame. Remember, you want the mesh to overlap with the wood planks but not stick out beyond the frame. No one likes getting their sleeve — or worse, their skin — caught on a sharp piece of metal mesh. If you're still worried, cut a shallow groove from the inside to the middle of all the wood planks — about 1/16 of an inch deep will do it. (Note: This will affect your overall measurement, so plan ahead if you like this idea.)

Roll the hardware cloth (or whatever mesh you're using) out over the frame. Secure it in place with screws, poultry net staples, or nails, pulling it tight as you go. Top the mesh with old wooden garden stakes or scrap wood beading, nailing or screwing them to the base frame to better hold the mesh in place. If you don't have enough wood to match the length of the first frame, screw small wood blocks onto the middle of the longer lengths instead of full planks. If you made a particularly large sifter, add a bar of wood to the center that's a bit longer than the width of your frame. It provides support to prevent sagging and also helps the sieve sit better on your wheelbarrow.

The easy version of this soil sifter fits over any wheelbarrow, but not snugly. If you want a more secure fit, you'll need to make a frame that's bespoke to the exact wheelbarrow by cutting grooves out of the base frame. These slot over the rim of the tray. Only have four planks of wood? While the wood-mesh sandwich style of frame is undeniably stronger, you'll still have a sturdy sieve if you skip the beading and nail or staple the mesh directly to a simple four-plank frame. Level up this ultra-basic idea by cutting a deep channel into the long side planks. Then, you can slide the mesh into the frame itself, making the sieve sturdier and reducing the chance that the mesh edges turn dangerously upwards later on.

If you don't have a drill, you can still make this project. Use lighter wood, 2 x 2s rather than 2 x 4s, and connect them together with wood glue. Use an upholstery stapler to secure the mesh to the frame. No matter what type of frame you make — with or without beading — consider adding some type of handle to make sifting the soil, compost, or gravel easier. That could mean extending two planks out past the frame on one of the short sides or adding small wood or metal handles to the long sides of the frame. These extra steps might just be the simple hack that makes sifting lumpy garden dirt a breeze instead of a chore.