Faux Concrete Head Planter

I have long wanted to make a concrete head planter but kept putting it off because of my concrete dilemma. I'm yet to find a fool-proof concrete brand. It's proven to be quite difficult since I don't particularly want to drag 50pound bag of cement and 50pound bag of sand in to my 3rd floor apartment.

I decided to fake it by using more accessible plaster. I'm using plaster bandages and powdered plaster of Paris. Both widely available in any craft store. Easy to use, cheap and with minimum clean-up afterwards.

Styrofoam (polystyrene) head, female and teenager heads tend to be smaller than male heads.

Small serrated knife

Disposable brushes (wall painting types)

40-80-120-240 grit sand paper

PVA glue

Plaster of paris bandages

Plaster of paris powder

Black, powdered pigment

Sealer - choice is yours, whatever you have on hand or available in your country- shellac, polyurethane, resin

Hot wire cutter or soldering iron (optional)

The most annoying part of this project is the hollowing of the head. I tried a few different methods to cut through the Styrofoam and best tool to use is a small serrated knife. Craft knife could work too, but there is a high possibility it will slice more than you want, so you'd have to be very careful, also it takes longer. Hot wire used for foam and polystyrene cutting could be used, but since you are not actually cutting, you are hollowing, you will have to spend a lot of time essentially melting the Styrofoam. It's not a good idea unless you do it in a well ventilated area and while wearing a mask, there are quite a lot of noxious fumes.

I had an old soldering tip, which was no longer usable, so I used a soldiering iron at the very end. Once I hollowed the head, I run the soldering iron inside and very carefully seared the foam to get rid of any loose bits and to even out my cuts. It only took me a minute, but the smell was unbearable.

I also cut a hole at the base, I will later fill it with plaster to add some weight to the bottom of the planter. You will have to have a hoover ready before you begin cutting. Tiny bits will fly everywhere and stick to clothes, hair, floor, surfaces. Once you are done carving, run the vacuum everywhere and vacuum the Styrofoam head as well.

Polystyrene doesn't react well with many products. Acetone and solvent based paints, glues, varnishes eat through it and create a giant mess. Plaster will simply slide off it when set, so you have to prime it with PVA glue first. I painted it with a regular craft glue inside and outside and left it to dry for 24hours.

To make things easier I used plaster bandages to create that first layer of plaster. I cut various sizes, used large pieces to cover the inside and the back of the head and small pieces to cover the face. I paid special attention to the face detail to make sure bandages didn't overlap too much. If they overlap and aren't smoothed properly, the surface will be too thick and lumpy.
To activate plaster bandage, you have to dip it in a pot of water, don't soak it, just dip, then remove excess water by running the bandage piece over the rim of the pot and apply that piece onto the head.
Leave it for a day to dry it out completely.

I mixed small quantity, about 1/2 cup dried plaster with just enough water to create a paste. Consistency should be similar to thick cream. I used a medium size disposable brush and a small spatula to spread the paste. Plaster sets very quickly, even quicker on the brush, so kept a container filled with water nearby and dipped my brush in water ever so often. I only had 3-8 minutes before plaster set (it all depends on conditions, plaster quality, temperature), I only managed to cover the inside of the head before everything set and had to be thrown out. I mixed second paste batch to cover majority of the head and third batch to cover the face details. For the face I used a smaller brush and paid more attention to eyes, nose, lips.

When I was done with the paste, plaster was setting, but was soft enough to be able to scrape it. I used a small metal spatula to even out any mistakes I made. It's important to do it at this point, saves time later.

I mixed a batch of plaster and poured it into the hole at the bottom. It will weigh the planter down and keep it more secure.

I sanded the surface lightly (120 grit), mainly to remove any irregularities and bumps before applying another layer of plaster.

Originally, I intended to apply a second layer of plaster paste and then use acrylics to paint it grey. I realised that would look too even and artificial, so I decided to use coloured plaster instead.
I mixed another batch of plaster paste, but this time I added a small quantity of powdered black pigment. I didn't mix it evenly. I pretty much sprinkled the pigment over the paste, mixed it haphazardly and created marble-like coloured paste. When I began spreading the paste, it created this uneven colour, which suited me nicely, so I continued doing it for the second and third paste batch.

Wet plaster has a deeper shade than dried plaster, so keep it in mind when adding pigments. My wet, dark grey plaster turned to light grey when dry.

I used a variety of sanding pads to smooth the surface. 40-80-120-240 grit. I wanted it to look rough and unfinished, so I kept the sanding to minimum.

Last step is sealing with a waterproof varnish. Problem with plaster is that it will absorb water if not sealed properly, so this step can't be skipped under any circumstances. I brushed 2-3 layers of a sealer on the inside and outside of the planter and left it to dry before adding any plants. Sealer type is very important, I used matt varnish, so I have minimum shine to my planter, but using gloss sealer would produce very shiny, unnatural piece, that would have to be sanded lightly to remove extra shine.