DIY Network

Planters--on the Cheap

	For your faux-stone planter, you can use almost any container as a mold...
	....even a foam cooler.

If you want to create your own faux-stone garden planters--and save money in the process--here's a recipe that will enable you to make a durable container in the form of your choice.

You can use just about anything as a form--a plastic bucket, a foam cooler, a plastic planter that you already have on hand. The procedure is a little like making mud pies. Here's how to do it:

Ingredients

• 3 parts perlite
• 2 parts Portland cement
• 3 parts peat moss

1. First, plan ahead. The planter will need to cure for a month after you make it before it's ready for planting.
   

   	Figure A
   	Figure B
   	Figure C

2. You'll need something that will help you remove the finished cement planter away from its form. For a porous mold such as a plastic mesh basket, a plastic bag will accomplish that (figure A). Just put the basket inside the bag and tuck the plastic against the floor and walls of the inside. If you have a solid mold such as a plastic container (figure B), spread vegetable oil over it for quick release.

3. Mix the dry ingredients, making sure to get any chunks out (figure C). (Be sure to wear gloves: cement can be caustic to your skin.)
   

   	Figure D
   	Figure E
   	Figure F
   	Figure G

4. Add enough water until the mixture is the consistency of wet cottage cheese. Add the water slowly, using a tool to mix (figure D). There's no hard and fast rule for how much water you'll need, but it's always easier to add more water than to add more dry ingredients. As the mixture gets thicker, you may want to switch to mixing with your hands (figure E). (Make sure you wear gloves.

5. When the mixture has the right consistency, put a few fistfuls in the bottom of your mold (figure F), enough to make a two-inch bottom once it's smoothed out.

6. Then begin slathering the mixture onto the sides of the container, spreading it out to give even, two-inch-thick walls (figure G). It's important to make sure the walls and the base of the container is thick enough so they don't snap off when you're taking them out of the form later on. Make sure the plastic stays as flat as possible.
   

   	Figure H
   	Figure I
   	Figure J

7. Put in a dowel for drainage. A wooden one is handy to use; whatever kind is chosen, simply cover it in plastic so it pops out easily once it's dry. Or, you can invert a plastic glove over the dowel (figure H).

8. Cover the container with a plastic bag and let it dry for 24 hours.

9. After 24 hours, pop it out of the mold. To do that, take the plastic off, remove the dowel, lay the mold on its side and then finish turning it over until it's upside down (figure I). Pull the mold off.

10. Use a wire brush to get rid of any sharp edges (figure J).

11. Recover the container with a plastic bag and allow to cure for a month. Although it takes only 24 hours for your new container to set, it takes a whole month for it to actually harden enough for use. The plastic bag enables it to cure without hardening too fast and possibly cracking.

12. Before you use it, rinse your planter well to remove any loose particles of cement.