Concrete Pot for Plants

Recently my brother found a plant in our backyard that needed potting, so he asked me to help him make a concrete pot. This project is easy, although a little time consuming. If this is your first time working with concrete, don't worry it was mine too. No matter your level of expertise you'll do fine!

Enjoy!

Materials:

• a lot of Lego Bricks
• a Base Board for the Legos
• Oil (we used canola oil)
• Water
• Portland Cement
• Cling Wrap (Saran Wrap)

Tools:

• Stick (for mixing cement)
• A bucket or container to mix cement
• A cup (we used a Styrofoam one)

Using the Lego bricks construct a base that is 2 bricks high. I made mine 12 "dots" by 16 "dots" , but you can change the size depending on the size of your plant.

Tip:

When building with Legos overlap the pieces to make the structure more architecturally sound.

Add on to the outside layer you added in the previous step. The number of Legos you add will depend on how tall you want your planter, but I did approximately 10. This may be tedious, but after a few layers you will get into the rhythm.

Using saran wrap, wrap the Lego structure you made in the last step. Then put another layer of Legos around the very edges to secure it down. Add a single lego in the center to ensure the saran wrap is solid.

With the inside finished it is time to make the outside wall. To do this place a the structure made in the previous step onto a pre-made Lego base. Then construct a rectangle of Legos around the bottom of the structure, leaving 2 "dots" between the structure and the wall the entire time. Remove the inside structure. Build up this wall a few layers and put 3 single Lego cubes at the base. These will allow for drainage and help make the base of the pot. Continue building up the layers until the wall has one less than the first structure made. The place the first structure inside the walls on top of the three cubes and secure the two structures together using single pieces.

Pour a small amount of your choice of oil into the space between the wall and the structure. Then move it around and flip the entire thing upside down to drain any excess oil.

It is finally time to mix cement. This step will take a little bit of guesstimating if you have never worked with cement before. However, for the size of pot I made I used about 17 cups of Portland Cement (or 14 scoops with my cup I was using). Put your dry cement directly into the container you will use to mix it and then add a cup of water. Stir in the cup before adding another cup. Stir and add water until the cement is no longer clumped together. The third image above is of my final product.

Tip:

Wear gloves when making and using cement.

Using your gloved hands fill the space between the structure and the wall with cement. Add a few clumps, push it down with a stick, and repeat until you have a layer or two. Then shake or vibrate the entire structure to smooth it out. Repeat this process until you have completely filled the space. If you run out of cement before completion just make some more and proceed as before.

Tip:

To make your own vibrating device tape a normal battery onto the front of a drill. Then place the drill under the Lego structure and run it.

Cover the structure and cement with a paper towel to make sure nothing gets into it. Allow this to sit for roughly 24 hours.

After roughly 24 hours the Lego pieces can be removed. I started with removing the outer walls, which is difficult but not impossible. Remove the entire Lego wall before starting on the center. If a piece doesn't want to come off try a different one and go back to it later.

Carefully remove the base from the concrete as well as the drain "plugs".

With all the Lego pieces off, your container should be done! Sand the edges until you have the product you like. Then fill with dirt and add your plant. Display your finished project on the table or in your backyard. Enjoy!