Easy Do It Yourself Cement Planter
Posted: December 17, 2017 | Author: Southern Utah University | Read Time: 2 minutes
Create easy planters in a variety of shapes and sizes for simple, beautiful gifts.
Materials
- Large container or bucket to mix in
- Rubber gloves
- Plastic cup to use for scooping
- Large spoon for mixing
- Plastic knife
- Tarp or garbage bag to protect work area
- Variety of larger and smaller plastic bowls--look for interesting shapes
- Dish Soap
- Water
- Small potted plants like succulents
- Potting soil
- Gravel
- Sand paper
Instructions
Protect a large work surface with a plastic tarp or garbage bags. Sort your containers. Find one that will be able to hold your plant(s) this will be used for the inside container. Coat the outside of the container with dish soap . Next, find one that is at least 2” taller and 2” wider than the first container. This will be the outside container. Coat the inside of it with dish soap. Set the containers aside. If you are making multiple planters at once, prepare them all now.
Fill your large container halfway with cool water. Begin scooping the cement powder into the water. Stir as you go. Continue adding cement and mixing until your cement resembles thick pancake batter. A thicker cement mixture will result in more imperfection in the surface of your finished piece. Runnier cement will result in a smoother finished piece, but will take much longer to dry.
When you are satisfied with the consistency of the cement, begin scooping it into the larger container. Fill it about halfway full. Press the smaller container down inside, so you have about 1 inch below the bottom of the container and 1 inch or more on each side. The cement should press upward, filling the container. If it is too full, scoop some back into your bucket. If it needs more, fill it up. Weight down the inner container with a rock, water bottle, or other small heavy object to keep it from floating upward. Level out the top edge of the cement with a plastic knife. Continue filling containers, mixing more cement as needed.
Wipe down your tools with paper towels to remove as much excess cement as possible. Then clean them with a hose or in a utility sink. Poor the excess water into gravel or into the grass. Avoid pouring the water down a drain and avoid pouring clumps of excess cement onto any surface.
Allow the cement in your containers to set and begin drying for at least 12 hours. Then carefully remove the inner bowl. If you did not use enough dish soap, it might be difficult to remove the container and you may need to break it to remove it. Then remove the cement from the outer container.
At this point the cement should still be somewhat wet. You can use a knife or sandpaper to remove any uneven surfaces if you would like a more clean appearance. Allow the planter to continue drying for a few more days.
Fill the container with a small amount of gravel, then transfer your plants into the new cement container. Use more potting soil if necessary.
Check out more DIY gift ideas.
This article was published more than 5 years ago and might contain outdated information or broken links. As a result, its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
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