I love a garden shortcut that looks almost too simple to be useful, and this cinder block kneeler is exactly that kind of project. By stacking standard cinder blocks on their sides and adding two inexpensive dollar-store basics, you get a sturdy raised kneeling station that saves your knees, keeps your gloves and hand tools close, and holds up beautifully through the end of the season.
What I like most is that there’s no fussy building here: no cutting lumber, no complicated hardware, and no special skills. If you’ve got a patio, a driveway, or a spot beside your beds where you can stack blocks safely, you can make this in minutes and put it to work the same day.
Materials
Instructions
1. Choose a flat, firm surface beside your garden bed, such as a concrete path, packed gravel, pavers, or hard soil that does not rock under the blocks.
2. Set two cinder blocks on their sides with the hollow openings facing outward, placing them parallel to each other about 16 inches apart so they create the first support row.
3. Stack the other two cinder blocks directly on top, lining up the edges carefully so the weight sits evenly and the stack feels solid with no wobble.
4. Press down on the top blocks from several angles to test stability; if anything shifts, level the ground or reposition the blocks until the stack stays firmly in place.
5. Lay the foam kneeling pad across the top center so it covers the area where your knees will land, with a little block edge still visible on both sides to keep the pad from sliding around easily.
6. Tuck the work gloves into one of the side openings so they stay dry, visible, and easy to grab whenever you move from weeding to planting.
7. Use the kneeler with the long side facing your garden bed, kneeling on the foam pad while the cinder block openings act as handy cubbies for gloves, seed packets, twine, or a small hand trowel.
Variations & Tips
For softer kneeling: If your dollar-store kneeling pad is thin, stack two pads together or fold a small outdoor towel over the top for extra cushioning.
For better drainage: If you’re placing this on bare soil, set the blocks on a shallow bed of compacted gravel so the base stays level after rain.
For tool storage: I often slide a hand fork, pruners, or seed envelopes into the block openings; it’s one of those old-school tricks that keeps me from setting tools down in the dirt and hunting for them later.
For patio use: Add small non-slip furniture pads under the bottom corners if you’re using the kneeler on smooth concrete or pavers and want a little extra grip.
For a cleaner look: Brush the cinder blocks off before stacking them, and choose gloves and a kneeling pad in coordinating colors so the finished setup looks intentional instead of makeshift.
Season-end storage: Bring the foam pad and gloves indoors when freezing weather sets in, and leave the blocks outside or restack them in the shed for next spring.