DIY Flower Pots

DIY flower pots are a great way to add some character to your flowers both indoors and outdoors. Concrete planters are some of the most popular DIY flower pots. They not only look gorgeous but they are also durable and can last for years.

Making these adorable and trendy DIY flower pots will also cost you only a few dollars and you can get the items from a local store.

Items

• Plastic folder
• Ruler
• Tape (duct tape, packing tape)
• Bag of quikcrete
• Small pieces of heavy materials to provide weight (Nails, screws, pebbles, etc)
• Toilet paper roll
• Sanding paper
• Plants. I used succulents from Leaf and Clay Succulents

Process of making the DIY flower pots

The first thing we’re gonna do is create our molds. I was interested in making pots of different sizes one small and the second one big. The first one with two-inch seams the second one is a two-and-a-half-inch seam.

I used a plastic folder I bought from Staples for two bucks. If you choose to use a folder though, make sure that it’s solid plastic. Many binders are made out of cardboard that’s just wrapped in plastic.

When choosing a material to make your mold it’s also very important that it has a perfectly smooth surface. Any pattern or imperfection will be visible when the concrete dries.

Some people also use cardstock to create their mold and I highly recommend against that for a couple of reasons. The first time I made these planters I used cardstock and as concrete has high water content the cardstock will just absorb it.

Secondly, cardstock is also not as sturdy so the corners were not as crisp and the sides were not as smooth.

The mold

The design requires eight triangles and five squares. Use your ruler to measure triangles and squares to the size you want your planter to be. For me, one set of triangles was 2 inches while the second was 2 and a half inches.

Use packing tape or duct tape or duck tape and begin piecing your mold together doing triangle square, triangle square. You can see the pattern starting to come together here as you continue to add each piece.

Make sure your seams don’t have any gaps in them as these little imperfections will be way more prominent once it dries.

Once your pieces are all put together and make sure all of your seams are sealed with tape to prevent any leaks. Trim the tape at the top of your mold to make sure it doesn’t leave any impressions on the concrete. Now repeat these steps with a two-and-a-half-inch seam length.  

Plant Space

Now before we mix our quikrete we need to make two spacers for where our plant is going to go. I’m gonna use a toilet paper roll. Cut the roll into two and then cover the sides and one end with tape.

The tape will help make the roll not absorb too much water and also give the inside of the planter a round shape.

Mix the concrete

Now it’s time to mix our concrete I used the quikrete which I got for a few dollars from Home Depot.  All you have to do is add water. When adding water, less is definitely more. So start with a little bit and slowly add more until your mix reaches the consistency of oatmeal.

As you add the mix to your mold it is super important to agitate it and then vibrate it. You can use a spoon to scoop the concrete as well as to compact it inside the mold as well as hit it on the sides.

This helps the air bubbles rise to the top and prevents pinholes from showing up in the finished concrete.

Once it’s almost filled gently push down the toilet paper roll into the form. Position it in the middle or not if that is the look you are going for. The closed side should go down first and leave the open side sticking out at the top.

Fill up the spaces between the mold and the paper roll if necessary. Now place screws or rocks or marbles into the tube to prevent it from floating and shifting.

Finished DIY Flower Pots

Now we sit anxiously and impatiently for three to five days until a grand reveal.  Empty out the screws and pull out the toilet paper roll. Piece by piece peel off the plastic and reveal your DIY flower pot.

Once you’re done you may wish to use 200 to 400-grit sanding pads to gently scrub the tops and the edges. Although it’s not a must, the sanding, gives the pots a more finished and polished feel and look. I personally sand the pots because I sometimes paint them different colors.

Sometimes I also stick colored glass pieces all around the pots to make beautiful patterns. This is all optional, but I like to create different designs to add variety to my flower planters.

Plant your succulents or any other preferred flowers into the molds. It is advisable to choose plants that fit the size of your flower pot.

I hope you found this article useful for making your DIY flower pot. I have used the same process for making different-shaped flower pots including squares, triangles, and rectangles.

The mixed shapes always add great character to your plants as well as the room. You can also check this article about rare succulents that make a great addition to any plant collection.

In case you are not able to make beautiful and polished succulent planters, check out these awesome containers. Some of them come with a free succulent.