Make your own concrete planters
Mix concrete in a bucket, pour it between two containers, and a day later you pop out a heavy, modern planter. Start with a small pot for a succulent, then work up to big planters for the porch. Here's the video that hooks everyone, and everything you need for your first pot.
Space neededA table outdoors or in the garage
First projectA small pot in a weekend
Skill levelBeginner-friendly
Good forGardeners, gifts, teens with an adult
The video that hooks everyone
Casting a concrete planter
A HomeMade Modern episode on making a DIY concrete planter: a long, cast concrete box, planted with greenery and set on small wheels. Press play and see why it hooks people.
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Tool list
What you need to start
Everything you need for your first project, and nothing you don't. A bag of mix, a few plastic containers and safety gear make several pots.
Starter kit
01Fine concrete mixSand mix or a mix sold for countertops or crafts, with no big gravel. Thin walls need a fine mix.
02Two plastic containersOne about 1 to 1 1/2 in. smaller all around than the other. Food tubs work.
03Mixing bucketA sturdy plastic bucket you'll use only for concrete.
04Trowel or stir stickFor mixing and spooning concrete into the mold.
05Measuring cupAdd water a little at a time.
06Cooking spray or vegetable oilMold release, so the concrete lets go.
07A wine corkMakes the drainage hole.
08Gloves, safety glasses and a dust maskWaterproof gloves for wet concrete, a mask for dry mix.
09Gravel or small rocksWeighs down the inner mold so it can't float up.
10Sandpaper, 120 gritSmooths sharp edges after the pot comes out.
The manual tells you what to look for when you buy each one.
- 1Skipping glovesWet concrete is caustic and can burn your skin, sometimes before you feel it. Wear waterproof gloves and long sleeves, and wash it off right away.
- 2Mix too wetSoupy concrete is weak and cracks. Add water a little at a time until it's like thick oatmeal.
- 3Popping it out too soonFresh concrete is soft and breaks easily. Leave it in the mold for a day or two, covered, before you unmold it.
