How To Make Garden Pots From Concrete

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If you're tired of expensive, flimsy pots that tip over in a windstorm and freeze in the winter, consider making your own homemade concrete pots. Once you devise a mold, you can make as many pots as you like. The sturdy flower pots are inexpensive and will last for many years.

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1

Create a mold for your concrete flower pot. Use two identical containers, with one container slightly larger than the other. For example, use two bowls or two buckets, as long as the smaller container is at least an inch smaller than the larger container. You can also build square or rectangular containers from plywood.
2

Coat the inside of the outer container and the outside of the inner container with cooking oil or non-stick cooking spray. For wooden containers, use a paste wax.
3

Cut at least two or three pieces of 1-inch PVC pipe. The pieces of pipe, which will be used to create drainage holes in the concrete pots, should be 2 inches (5.1 cm) long.
4

Put on a pair of gloves to protect your hands from the concrete mixture. Mix a batch of quick-setting concrete, according to the directions on the package. Add concrete color at this point, if desired.
5

Pour 2 inches (5.1 cm) of the concrete mixture into the larger container. Poke the pieces of pipe into the concrete, with 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to 10.2 cm) between each pipe. Smooth the concrete around the pieces of pipe, but be sure not to cover the pipe, as the pipes must be left open to create the drainage holes.
6

Place the smaller container carefully on top of the concrete in the center of the larger container. Press the smaller container into the concrete until the bottom of the smaller container rests on top of the pipes.
7

Finish adding the concrete mixture to the space between the larger and smaller container. Bounce the container lightly on a hard surface to settle the concrete, then add more to bring the concrete to the top of the container. Smooth the concrete with a putty knife.
8

Allow the concrete to set for at least 24 hours, then remove the smaller container to reveal your concrete pot. Mist the concrete pot lightly with a spray bottle filled with cool water. Don't remove the larger container.
9

Cover the concrete pot with a large piece of plastic and allow the concrete to set up for one week. Mist the concrete pot as often as needed to keep the concrete damp.
10

Thump the bottom of your concrete pot lightly but firmly with the heel of your hand to dislodge the pot from the container, then slide the container from your concrete pot.
11

Clean the concrete mixture from the small and large container. The containers can be used to make more concrete pots.
12

Finished.

Add New Question

Question

What is the formula for the concrete mix?

Dtown2002

Community Answer

The formula for the concrete mix is one part cement, two parts sand and three parts gravel or crushed stone.
Question

Will concrete plug up the pipes when they're pushed in?

If it does, you can always scrape it out at the end, but I would tape some plastic around the bottom of the tubes before inserting. When everything is finished, just cut the plastic away from the tubes at the bottom of the pot.
Question

What does "part" mean in the first question for the cement mix? Is the measurement one cup like for baking, or what is it exactly?

The "part" is a reference to the portion used to measure the material. Whatever container is used for one material, it is used for the next material. It is similar to the use of a one-cup measurement in baking. A part can be any measure, as long as other ingredients use that same proportional measure.
Question

Do I need to seal or cure pots before planting flowers in them?

Concrete is porous, so sealing it can be helpful in keeping water from seeping out. If you wan to paint the concrete, it will help to seal the surface before applying any paint. Not sealing will allow paint to soak into the concrete, and it will take much longer to dry (as well as needing to use more paint).
Question

Can I use cardboard boxes?

No, as concrete could ooze out of the cardboard and surround the mold. So a metal or plastic pot is ideal.

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Things You'll Need

2 identically-shaped containers, one larger
Cooking oil, non-stick cooking spray or paste wax
1-inch PVC pipe
Gloves
Quick-setting concrete
Concrete color (optional)
Putty knife
Spray bottle
Larger plastic sheet

References

About This Article

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Reader Success Stories

Cecelia Guevara

Sep 9, 2019

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