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How to make cement planter pots

Hero Concrete Pots.jpg

Difficulty: Beginner

Let your plants be the centre of attention with these stylish, industrial-looking cement planter pots. They can be made in many different sizes to suit your decor and taste.

The planter pots make fantastic gifts and are also a fun weekend project to do with kids.

Inspiration for this project comes from the very popular D.I.Y. concrete vase by Bunnings Workshop member @hannah. Many thanks again for sharing your wonderful project with us.

Steps

Step 1

Ensure you wear gloves to protect your hands. Take equal parts of your quick-set mortar and cement mix and place them into a plastic container. Combine the dry mixture using the mixing stick. Slowly begin adding water while stirring until you achieve a runny consistency.

1.1 Mortar and cement mix.jpg . 1.2 Dry mix of equal parts.jpg . 1.3 Dry mix combined.jpg . 1.4 Adding water to dry mix.jpg . 1.5 Stirring the mix until a runny consistency is achieved.jpg

Step 2

Take your larger outer mould pot and spray the inside with WD-40 lubricant. Half fill it with your wet cement mix. Spray the outside of your smaller pot. Push the smaller pot down into the mix and use something heavy to weigh it down such as pebbles or stones.

2.1 Adding mould release.jpg . 2.2 Wet mix added to pot form.jpg . 2.3 Internal form pushed into wet mix and weighted.jpg

Step 3

Wait 24 hours for your cement mix to almost fully cure, then remove your weighting material and the small container. Turn the pot upside down and tap it sharply on the ground. A piece of cardboard will help prevent the pot from chipping.

Once the pot is released, drill through the bottom with a 12mm masonry bit. Do not use the hammer function on the drill. Since the cement is not fully cured your drill in normal function mode will grind out a 12mm hole without breaking the pot.

3.1 Cement cured after 24 hours.jpg . 3.2 Internal form removed.jpg . 3.3 Pot turned upside down to release.jpg . 3.4 Pot released from mould.jpg . 3.5 Drilling drainage holes.jpg . 3.6 Drainage hole.jpg

Step 4

You can leave the pots as they are if you prefer the cement look or for a touch of interest, try spray painting patterns on them. Take the masking tape and apply it to the pot. Spray at least three coats to cover the cement. Once you have finished painting the pots, you can seal the inside with Crommelin ornamental pot sealer.

You’ve now completed your stylish cement pots. We think they are perfect for displaying your succulents and cacti. You might like to try experimenting with different sized and shaped moulds to create unique personalised designs.

4.1 Taping pot for painting.jpg . 4.2 Two coats of paint applied.jpg . 4.3 Painting complete.jpg . 4.4 Sealing inside of pot.jpg . 4.5 Pot completed.jpg

Materials

1 bag of quick-set mortar
1 bag of general purpose cement
1 plastic mixing container
275g can of WD-40 lubricant
750ml spray bottle of Crommelin ornamental pot sealer
1 roll of painters’ tape
Plastic pots of various sizes
Spray paint

Tools

Drill driver
12mm masonry drill-bit
Mixing stick
Gloves

Images

1.1 Mortar and cement mix.jpg

1.2 Dry mix of equal parts.jpg

1.3 Dry mix combined.jpg

1.4 Adding water to dry mix.jpg

1.5 Stirring the mix until a runny consistency is achieved.jpg

2.1 Adding mould release.jpg

2.2 Wet mix added to pot form.jpg

2.3 Internal form pushed into wet mix and weighted.jpg

3.1 Cement cured after 24 hours.jpg

3.2 Internal form removed.jpg

3.3 Pot turned upside down to release.jpg

3.4 Pot released from mould.jpg

3.5 Drilling drainage holes.jpg

3.6 Drainage hole.jpg

4.1 Taping pot for painting.jpg

4.2 Two coats of paint applied.jpg

4.3 Painting complete.jpg

4.4 Sealing inside of pot.jpg

4.5 Pot completed.jpg

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Comments

redracer01

Hello @MitchellMc

Excellent tutorial! Always handy to know how to make custom pots!

Cheers,

Red

mandileedesign

hi do you still need to cure in water for 7 days?

DIYgals

These are cuute!

JaneK

That's a great question @mandileedesign. Let me tag @MitchellMc so he can let us know when he's back on board tomorrow.

Jane

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @mandileedesign. It's fantastic to have you join us, and many thanks for your question.

We add the mortar as it contains sand, which helps bind the cement together and adds strength to the mix. Straight cement pots tend to crack if cured in direct sunlight. However, whether or not you use the mortar, it's a good idea to cure your pots in the shade or mist them down with water over the course of a week. You can even submerge them in water once the mix is partially cured.

I neither water cured nor misted the pots in this guide, and I've only experienced a couple of hairline cracks that are not structural.

I look forward to seeing your pots and would encourage you to post some pictures once you're done. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

MitchellMc

They certainly are cute, @DIYgals! I can't get over how adorable the mini pots came out.

Would you be interested in giving something like this a go? The only issue I have now is that I find myself heading to Bunnings every week to see if there are new types of succulents to go in the pots.

I look forward to seeing you create your own.

Mitchell

DIYgals

@MitchellMc I am definitely going to need try giving these are shot! 🙂

LeaWillow

Hi there!

Would Mortar & Cement be strong enough?

I actually wish Bunnings had 'Rapid Cement All' on the shelves. It is being used heaps on YouTube for this type of thing.
Do you know if this is something Bunnings will be adding in the future? I know they would sell heaps of it if they did.
Is there anything that would replicate Rapid Cement All, it is also White, which is what I am looking for.

Additional info: It is actually

Rapid Set® Cement All™

Please do ask Bunnings to stock this 🙂
Thank you

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @LeaWillow. It's fantastic to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about this project.

From my experience, mortar and cement seem to be adequate for making your own pots. All the pots made in this guide are still perfect, as far as I can tell. You could add some chicken wire into the mould, which would drastically improve the pot's strength.

I haven't personally heard of Rapid Cement All but it appears similar to a construction grout except in a rapid-set form. I'll certainly pass your suggestion on to the relevant team to have a look into. The closest you would get to white cement in our range would be mixing Avista Oxide 1kg White Cement Colouring and Australian Builders 20kg Off White Cement. You could always paint the pots white as I have done with these.

Please keep us updated as I look forward to seeing your pots once they are completed. Shout out if you need further assistance or have questions.

Mitchell

Isaac1

Is this happening to anyone else? Or did I do something wrong haha. I made these a while back but kept getting efflorescence coming through and ruining the finish. Any tips on why this might be happening or ways to stop it?

@MitchellMc

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Isaac1. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about this project.

I'm sorry to hear you're experiencing issues with your cement pots.

Did you use the same products as I did, and did you seal the cement pots? Was your mixer similar to a thick pancake batter?

I didn't experience any "efflorescence" on the pots I left unpainted. I've just taken a look at the pots now, and there is a small amount of spalling on a few of them, but nowhere near as much as you're showing here. In the last image, I would have thought that perhaps the cement and water weren't mixed thoroughly enough or you didn't add enough water.

What length of time was there between your first image and when they started showing these issues?

Mitchell

pepsp

Wow what a great tutorial and a fun and useful output. They look great and I like the idea of painting them

StevieB

@pepsp, we'd love to see your cement planter creations if you make your own.

Stevie

Jolly181

@MitchellMc Hi Mitchell.. I want to be able to print this out for my wife, but cannot see a print option..???

Cheers

Jason

Hi @Jolly181,

I'm sorry but we don't have print functionality. We would recommend you share the link with your wife - https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/t5/How-To/How-to-make-cement-planter-pots/ba-p/62209 - or use the Share buttons at the top of the screen to share on Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

Thanks for your interest, we're looking forward to seeing how your cement planter pots turn out.

Jason

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