How to make a concrete pot for plants

Green-fingered homeowners love to garden in their spare time. Their plants and gardens are an important part of their weekends – becoming a creative outlet in their spare time. Why not take it to the next level and create your own homemade concrete pots?

These block pots are minimalistic and will add a rustic feel to any garden. Attach some wheels and you’ll be able to move them around your garden or balcony easily. All you need is a bag of cement, some fine sand and a bit of water to create the concrete.

Just remember to strain the wet mixture through a mesh to remove larger pieces of gravel if your concrete contains any. For intricate and detailed DIY projects, you’ll want a smooth concrete mix with no big stones or lumps.

Items needed to make a homemade concrete pot

An old, deep cabinet drawer made from laminate wood
Cement, fine sand, water
5cm thick rigid foam insulation
Tap (or another water source)
13mm diameter copper pipe (threaded)
Heavy-duty casters (or other wheels)
2cm thick scrap plywood
Construction glue

Steps to making DIY concrete pots

To make the pot, you need to glue layers of stacked foam (about 20cm) to the base of the drawer. This foam will create a hollow space inside the pot.
Cut the rigid foam to fit inside the drawer, leaving 5cm from the walls of the drawer to the foam on all sides.
Once you have about 20cm of foam, mark the top of the foam against the side of the cabinet drawer and drill a hole through the wood that’s big enough to fit the threaded copper pipe.
Insert the pipe through the cabinet wall and cut away some foam so that the pipe can fit. This will form the water drain for the pot. Tape the pipe to the foam to stop it from moving.
Seal any cracks or holes in the cabinet with duct tape or silicone sealant. This will prevent any concrete from leaking out.
Mark a line on the inside of the cabinet about 6cm above the top of the foam. This is your fill line for when you pour the concrete.
Make your concrete with Tembo cement, sand and water. Fill the cabinet with concrete up to the fill line. Tap the sides of the cabinet to remove trapped air.
Cut the scrap plywood slightly smaller than the size of the cabinet and press it into the wet concrete. This is now the base of the pot.
Leave the concrete to cure for about 48 hours.
To remove the concrete pot, hammer the sides of the cabinet. Using any sharp tool, scrape and dig out the foam from the centre of the pot.
Screw the heavy-duty casters to the plywood base. Attach the tap to the end of the threaded copper pipe.

Before planting anything in the pot, put down a layer of gravel inside the pot. This will allow water to drain more easily. Then, pour in the soil and mulch on top of the gravel. Plant some seeds and keep them watered as necessary. Alternatively, you could buy plants from a nursery and simply transfer them into the pot.

This DIY concrete pot can also double as a cooler box (the tap is perfect for draining water away from the ice). Feel free to experiment with different pot shapes by using different sized drawers or even bins. Visible air bubbles and jagged edges can also add to the charm of the pots, so don’t worry about being a perfectionist when removing the trapped air.

Original source: www.homemade-modern.com

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Release your inner creative-being and get stuck into some trendy DIY projects. We share ways to add personal flair to your life with some homemade décor and unique craft ideas.

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