DIY Cement Planters For Less

Cement planters give any petite garden or terrace a touch of cool modern,  but the $100 and up price tag motivated me to take design matters into my own hands.

On a recent visit to my favorite Japanese dollar store, Daiso, I bought a plastic planter urn. I drilled a few extra drainage holes to prevent soggy plant roots later on. Now, for the fun part!

This Just In: Mold-able Concrete

I had a little bit of Shapecrete left over from a previous project, which is a mold-able concrete mix that works like clay. You just add water. It comes in a large 20-lb size, but you will be surprised how many projects you can create with it.  Make sure and use gloves. I do not have allergy-sensitive skin, but working with this clay with my bare hands made them feel itchy for a few hours.  Check out Shapecrete’s how-to video here.

Drape and shape the clay over the outside of the urn and just over the top lip, leaving the inside of the urn uncovered.

According to Shapecrete’s website, their product will alter the pH of the soil which may or may not affect some plants.  Being a card-carrying brown thumb gardener, I didn’t want to risk it. Instead, I lined the inside with a coco liner and added the soil on top.

Tip

Living in sunny California, succulents have truly become my friend. They’re drought-friendly and so easy to grow in almost any container even an old postal box. My succulents look happy and are thriving in their new home.  Be sure not to overwater.