With all our recent talk about plants in the nursery, we thought it would be fun to come up with a DIY planter to hold your leafy, air-filtering friends. This version is made of plaster, and it's urban chic form is perfect for a modern nursery. We made the mold out of foam core and duct tape, and the architectural details are formed by sticking self-adhesive craft foam inside the mold. The process is so fun, easy, and satisfying. Get the full how to below.
Materials:
plaster of Paris, at least 6 lbs
one sheet of foam core
one sheet of sticky back craft foam
duct tape
bucket for mixing
stir stick
Instructions:
Step 1: Cut the foam core.
Cut 4 rectangles that are each 9 inches x 5 inches. Cut one square for the bottom that is 5.25 inches by 5.25 inches. Also cut four smaller rectangles that are each 8 inches x 3 inches.
Step 2: Cut out small details.
Cut windows, doors, and any other details you want out of the sticky back craft foam. Peel off the backing and stick them to one of the large rectangles.
Step 3: Form two boxes.
Tape the 4 large rectangles together with the edges overlapping. Tape the entire seam closed tightly. Tape the bottom on, too. Make sure that every seam is tightly taped shut so the plaster won't leak out when you pour it in. Also, tape the small rectangles together to form a box. Use duct tape to make a bottom on this smaller box.
Step 4: Fill the mold.
Mix the plaster and pour it into the larger box until it reaches about 3 inches from the top. Drum your fingers against the outside of the box to release any air bubbles. Press the smaller box down into the plaster until it is level with the larger box. Hold until the plaster firms up (about 4 or 5 minutes).
Step 5: Take off the mold.
After the plaster has fully set, peel off the duct tape and carefully remove each section of the mold.
Step 6: Sand your planter.
Sand any rough edges. You can turn the planter upside down and rub it on a sheet of sandpaper to smooth and level out the top surface.
Your planter is all done! Note that when you water a plant, the plaster will absorb some of the water much like a terra cotta flower pot. You can also add a layer of rocks in the bottom to help absorb water. Be sure to protect wood surfaces under the planter.
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Nice one !
Oh I love it! These would make great housewarming gifts. Anyone know if you could coat it with something to make it waterproof or more durable?
You could design it such that it held a plastic pot inside (the kind with no holes) and then throw a little bit of moss over the dirt at the top to hide the fact that there is a pot-inside-of-a-pot (to make sure it was waterproof). I believe the type of plaster you buy will determine how sturdy it is. Concrete would probably work too.
This takes me back to my college days when we had to do this sort of stuff in architecture studios for building models to simulate concrete. I think I might have to make one of these just to glory in the past - and because it is super-cute and would go great in my sons' room.
love it. a alot. i've never actually seen a plaster of paris craft i wanted to make. this is it.
i just finished this. it was SO HARD.
1. the foamcore paper side sticks to the plaster.
2. the plaster bulges out at the sides quite a bit.
3. i ended up using WAY more plaster than i expected.
something i expected but many people may not realize - plaster is really, really heavy.
Looks great, but being due in two months it sounds like it might stress me out. Maybe I can get a helper or a doer!