One of the projects Ariana and myself enjoyed the most this summer, was making these super cool concrete planters. It was fun (and easy) from beginning to end- choosing the paper and plastic containers for the shapes, choosing the plants for each, mixing the concrete with water and finally, assembling the whole project together! Oliver just watched us through the whole process highly uninterested, but I am hoping to get him engaged in our craft making soon 🙂
There are different ways to make concrete pieces; you can buy the ready to mix powder, like Breton (which we did on this occasion) or mix the concrete with sand yourself to various proportions.This lat option is certainly the way to go if you are planning to do larger pieces because the other mix would be too expensive. I have been looking for a white coloured concrete for a project I have in mind and it seems Snowcrete is widely available, but regular concrete would do for a grey looking finish.
Making these super cool pots didn’t take long at all (except the waiting time for the concrete to dry!) and it was super easy. I mean, Ariana is 3 and she managed to get them done almost by herself. All you need to do is to choose two containers per pot. The larger one will make the outside of the pot determining both the size and shape of the final product. The smaller one, will set the size of the interior of the pot and that would be the space that you would have for your succulents. We are not leaving a drainage whole, so bear that in mind when choosing the plants to go inside.
Mix your concrete powder with water as specified in the instructions, foil the pots you are going to use to make it easy to remove them once the concrete is set. You will need to oil the inside and bottom of the larger pot and the outside and bottom of the smaller one. Fill the larger pot with the mixture and press down the smaller container inside to create the hole. Clean the top of the pot or flatten the concrete on the surface for an even finish. You will have to weight down the inside pot as it is difficult to keep it down without applying pressure. It is also a good idea to tap the container a few times on a hard surface to help the bubbles to come up making sure the whole pot is even and stronger without any air pockets.
Leave the pot to dry for 24 hours and remove (or peel) away the containers. Fill them with soil and plants and they are ready to decorate your house or to give as a gift to someone else. We made one for us and one for Tia Hele (The kids adoptive auntie here in London). She LOVED it 🙂
