How to make concrete planters: do it yourself (DIY)
Concrete planters have been popping up on DIY blogs for quite some time now. Most creative types desire the industrial feel & look of concrete planters but if you require a little more colour in your life, continue on reading.
There is a more advanced way of adding colour to your concrete planter boxes. After some amount of research and ‘hands-on’ testing, it turns out that the best way to add colour to your concrete planter boxes is to mix in powdered pigments or oxides with your concrete powder.
Okay, let us be the first to admit it: When you set out to make your first-ever bunch of concrete planters, you might be little intimidated. There might even be a moment when carrying a couple of 20kg bags of premix concrete at some hardware store, wondering how you are going to lug it into your house / apartment when you could have just bought a lightweight concrete planter from the Outdoor Emporium.
Lets put that train of thought aside and continue with our DIY journey. To cast aside all remaining self doubt about your skill level for this project, we recommend watching a couple of YouTube "how to" videos to reinvigorate that DIY attitude. Yes the concrete bags are heavy, it can also get messy making DIY concrete planterboxes but its not a complicated exercise.
Below are the instructions on how to make concrete planterboxes:
Materials
- Premixed Concrete (just add water)
- concrete pigments.
- Containers to utilize as moulds.
- Tiny succulents
Tools
- Plastic bucket
- Gloves
- Spoon
Instructions for making Concrete planters:
1. While wearing gloves, mix the concrete with water and store it in a bucket. Start with a wild guess at how much concrete you will need, but do not worry you always have the option of mixing up some more. As adding too much water might weaken the concrete’s structure, start by pouring in lesser than you think you will need.
2. The second step of making Concrete planters involves separating out the amount of concrete you would like to ‘dye.' Slowly stir in the pigment until the time you are happy with the colour. The colour of the mix when wet is close to what it’ll look like when dry. You will need two parts for a marbled planter: white and dyed. On the other hand, for an ombre planter, you will have to separate the concrete into various bowls and add different amounts of colourant to each.
3. Let the concrete planters cure in a warm, moist place where they will not get knocked. After a time span of 48 hours, turn the containers over so that the planter pops out. You may have to tap the biggest ones against your table a couple of times to release the concrete.
4. You should give your succulents or other small plants to there new home. Transplant them from there standard plastic nursery containers to there new concrete palnters. Be very careful not to over-water them succulents.
These DIY planters are simple to make, and it just takes a weekend. They look modern and industrial and you can make all sorts or shapes and sizes by using common household containers. Concrete planters are a great way to house various things in your garden. Not only do these permit you to plant in corners they cannot usually but they raise the height of foliage off the ground, add color to a particular design and can create a focal point that is necessary for successful garden design.
If it all sounds too complicated, pop into the Outdoor Emporium Warehouse, view our huge range of Lightweight Concrete Planters and take one home with you.
Job done.