Hello Remodelaholics! Today I’m back with a really fun diy project. All you need is some cement mix, molds (aka old dishes or containers) and your imagination. The sky’s the limit with what you can do with this project.
I’ve been wanting to do some really big cement planters for under my new garage lights for some time now but I decided to see if I could successfully make a smaller scale model before I tackle the larger version.
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To get started on your DIY cement planters, you’ll need some cement mix. (Make sure you get cement and not concrete mix). Depending on how smooth or textured you want your end result to look you can add Peat Moss and/or Perlite to your mixture but those things are totally optional. I found some really great cement recipes on the Garden Glove that you can experiment with.
For my mixture I went for a semi-textured look so used one part peat moss to one part cement. The amount of water is an eyeball thing. What I figured out is the more water you use the thinner and more runny the consistency (duh). The result of a runnier mixture is that you have less air bubbles which makes for a smoother finish but it takes a LONG TIME to cure and harden. I mixed everything in a big bucket and added water a little at a time until the mixture seemed right. At first I used a long paint stir stick but that became time consuming and I ended up just sticking my hand in (make sure and wear a rubber glove) and got good and dirty.
When experimenting with using cement for the first time I decided to try my hand at several different projects. I really just wanted to do some small planters but while treasure hunting at a thrift store I found a light fixture with three glass fixtures at a thrift store for $5.00. Garden Glove featured Garden Balls (that almost sounds naughty) made out of glass globes so I decided to give it a try.
After filling the globes with my cement mixture I gave them several good thumps to help it settle and release air bubbles. After it had dried for about 24 hours I put the one globe at a time in a garbage bag, and gently tapped it on the sidewalk to break the glass away from the cement sphere inside. Wear gloves to remove excess glass.
To my surprise it worked! The snow literally just melted, otherwise I would have put them in a bed of foliage but for now…dead, frozen winter ground is the best I could give you.
Now this is where working with cement gets fun. Anything you can think of you can pretty much create with cement. I’ve collected old jars, glasses, etc. that I used for my cement molds. You could even use milk cartons, old plastic food containers, you name it, you could probably use it. Make sure to coat the mold generously with cooking spray so it will release when ready. If not, you’ll have to break your containers to get your creation out.
One of the other reasons I would recommend using a runnier mixture is this situation right here. I used a rather clumpy/thick mixture which caused the edges that were exposed to never self-level and I was left with uneven lip. Luckily I was able to catch it before it was totally dry and I used a knife to shave down the edge smooth.
More shaving on this one.
Perfect personalized, inexpensive gift!
If you’d like to see more you can also check out directions on making Hypertufa pots posted on Remodelaholic.
If you liked this project you’ll definitely like our DIY Terrarium with complete instructions!
To see more projects and renovations from 4men1lady, hop on over to our blog!
1: Hypertufa Cement Pots. Make a lighter-weight concrete planter with a natural stone look by making a hypertufa mix following the instructions here.
2: Concrete Plant Pots and Garden Globes. Use old plastic containers to make gift-sized concrete pots and upcycle an old globe light to make a garden globe.
3: Modular Concrete Mini Planters with DIY Molds. Recycle cardboard to make your own concrete mold (instructions here) and make a set of these modular mini planters for a desk or wall planter. The added gold edging is beautiful!
4: Tall Outdoor Concrete Planter. This is the big kahuna! Learn to use concrete dye to tint the planter a different color and how to make your own large concrete form from melamine, including adding a decorative detail.
5: Easy Freeform Concrete Planter. Create a whimsical slouchy bag style planter using materials you have around the house.
Let your yard’s flora shine with some of these other DIY planter ideas:
Cinder Block Planter
(plus more cement home and garden ideas)
Stenciled Wooden Planter
(plus more hexagon projects)
Mailbox Trellis Planter
(and more mailbox DIYs)
Porch Planter with House Number
(and more friendly porch ideas)
I absolutely LOVE these concrete planters. The pitted and imperfect look has always looked perfect to me. I will make a few more this spring and color wash them or use a concrete stain.
Thanks for the reminder. I’ve made these for gifts and never made one for myself. hmm…
JaG
Michelle, these are fantastic! I’m totally going to search my home for things to turn into cement molds now. 🙂
These are so cool! And so simple:) Thanks for sharing them. Definitely going to look at doing this once the snow melts (yes, that’s right, we still have snow here:*(
-V
The snow will melt eventually, and then these will be fabulous! Thanks for commenting!
I LOVE these!!! the succulents are perfect for them, too! Awesome idea!!
Thanks, Allie!
Love this…… made some today and they came out great love them …..thanks
OK this is the best tutorial for these cement planters, Martha Stewart’s is not even close to helpful. Thanks for the tips you added, I’m excited to try these!
Glad to be helpful, Kristin! We’d love to see pics when you try it!
Hi,
Wow great advice, I just tried using a runnier mixture but there is a film or water sitting on the top… is this normal?
Love your pots! Do you ever get cracking in them a few days after planting? Would love to hear. Thank you.
If cement cures too fast or too slow (mostly depends on weather) it can crack. You can use wire screen material or chicken wire (for larger projects) or burlap ( for smaller projects) like you use re-bar for pouring a slab. It should prevent most cracking but if you do still get some your project will hold together.
These are awesome. i would paint them in funky colours and match flower colours to the paint. do you put holes in for drainage?
That sounds fun! I don’t believe there are holes for drainage in these, but these do have holes for draining or mounting on the wall: https://www.remodelaholic.com/2014/05/diy-modular-geometric-concrete-planters/. Thanks for reading!
I’ve made the cement globes before and spray painted them with ‘mirror finish’ spray paint. they are really pretty gazing balls at that point.
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing!
how do you do the glove cement
it would be fun to embellish the rims too- stones or broken crockery or sea shells, marbles, buttons, colored glass -whatever trips your trigger. I’m going to try some!
Great ideas! We’d love to see when you do!
These are absolutely beautiful pots and balls! Houses made of concrete are ugly to see but when you bring that material in your garden or home, it looks absolutely beautiful. Thank you for sharing with us. <3
Thank you!
I absolutely love your site! I am just starting out and I attempted these cement planters and had absolutely no luck 🙁 Even after 4 days of drying, the process of getting the glass off ends ups also crumbling my cement. I have no idea what I’m doing wrong. Any suggestions? I would be eternally grateful!!!
…actually, I think I just figured out my problem. We had been doing some yard work and I think I used the wrong cement or concrete mix that was for something else. My bag do cement was in a different corner. Can’t believe I did that.
Oh no! I’m sorry! I hope it works out for you on your next try!
Do you use anything to cure or seal the planters? Also, what about sanding or polishing to give a nice finish?
This is just amazing!! I can’t wait to make my own cement gifts!! REally well done 🙂 Best regards from Majorca
Send us a picture when you do! https://www.remodelaholic.com/share-brag-post/
I made a few of these planters and I had trouble with a few plants growing in them. Do you think the cement is toxic to plants?
No, I don’t think cement is toxic to plants, especially since they use cement in landscapes all over the place.
The reason your plants are dying could be from a whole lot of factors. You might have the wrong soil for the type of plant you put in, some prefer sandy soil, others not. You could be over or under-watering or there may not be enough light. I would look into care for certain types of pants and make sure you are meeting all their needs. If they are still not growing there may not be enough room for their roots, they may need a larger container, in which case you might need a different (smaller) plant.
do you use anything to seal your planter?
Thanks so much can’t wait to get started.
I would love to have a hole in the bottom for water to run out how do I create that.
Hi Mary-anne,
You’ll just need to modify the mold that you pour the concrete into, like Ananda did in this tutorial here: https://www.remodelaholic.com/diy-modular-geometric-concrete-planters/
I used concrete once I liked the final product but I noticed that every time I moved the vase there were concrete dust on the surface of the counter. Does this happen with cement? If so, is there a way to avoid this?