How To Make A Concrete Flower Pot – Step by Step
My husband is quite the handyman at times. During the recent lockdown, he knocked up a new bathroom cabinet, a garden table that we gifted to my parents and several concrete flower pots. The idea to make a concrete flower pot came about because I have quite a selection of cactus and succulents and my favourite way of displaying them is in concrete or clay pots… But have you seen the price of them?… Scandalous!
Where there’s a will, there’s a way!
![Title photo for concrete flower pot tutorial](https://i1.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Concrete_Pot_Step_By_Step-5514-Featured-1.jpg?resize=700%2C394&ssl=1)
It really isn’t that difficult to make a concrete flower pot. The ‘ingredients’ are basic, easy to find and a fraction of the cost of buying one. In fact, for the same price, you can make several pots (depending on the size of the pot you are planning to make).
To Make A Concrete Flower Pot You Will Need…
The amount of concrete you need to make a concrete flower pot will vary depending on the size pot you want to make, so for that reason, I’m giving ratios rather than weight/amount. Be sure to make up more mix than you need though, you don’t want to end up short!
- River sand and marble dust
- White cement powder
- Red or yellow concrete dye powder
- Water
- Two plastic tubs one bigger than the other. We used two old washing up bowls with the bigger one being roughly two inches (or more) larger than the smaller one… Alternatively, you can buy ready to use moulds.
- A large sieve – recommended to sieve any bits from the river sand, but not having one won’t be detrimental to the finished pot.
- Short plank of wood. Large enough to go across the bowls.
- Something heavy. We used a weight, but you could use some bricks or a bag of sand even.
- The mix my husband used was roughly 2 parts marble dust, 2 parts river sand and 1 part white cement.
![Cement, marble dust, large sieve, plastic bowls to make a concrete flower pot](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Concrete_Pot_Step_By_Step-4244-1.jpg?resize=700%2C394&ssl=1)
He used a wheel barrow to mix the concrete in, but you could do it on a hard floor. Not a nice floor though! An outdoor one that doesn’t matter would be best.
![Cement being saved into a wheel barrow.](https://i1.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Concrete_Pot_Step_By_Step-4253-1.jpg?resize=700%2C394&ssl=1)
Two parts marble dust.
![Concrete being sieved into a wheel barrow to make a concrete flower pot.](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Concrete_Pot_Step_By_Step-4260-1.jpg?resize=700%2C394&ssl=1)
Sieve.
![Building sand being poured onto a sieve on a wheel barrow.](https://i1.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Concrete_Pot_Step_By_Step-4266-1.jpg?resize=700%2C394&ssl=1)
Two parts river sand.
![Building sand being sieved into a wheelbarrow full of concrete to make a concrete flower pot.](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Concrete_Pot_Step_By_Step-4271-1.jpg?resize=700%2C394&ssl=1)
Sieve.
![Marble dust being added to concrete in and river sand in a wheel barrow to make a concrete flower pot.](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Concrete_Pot_Step_By_Step-4282-1-1.jpg?resize=700%2C394&ssl=1)
One part white cement.
![Concrete dye powder being added to a mix to make a concrete flower pot.](https://i1.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Concrete_Pot_Step_By_Step-4285-1.jpg?resize=700%2C394&ssl=1)
A sprinkle of concrete dye powder – to taste.
![Water being added to a concrete, river sand and marble dust mix.](https://i1.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Concrete_Pot_Step_By_Step-4293-1.jpg?resize=700%2C394&ssl=1)
Add enough water to make a thick sludge.
![Concrete being mixed in a wheelbarrow.](https://i0.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Concrete_Pot_Step_By_Step-4308-1.jpg?resize=700%2C394&ssl=1)
Mix together well.
![Concrete being scooped into the bottom of a bowl.](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Concrete_Pot_Step_By_Step-4316-1.jpg?resize=700%2C394&ssl=1)
Put a good inch of concrete into the bottom of the large bowl.
![Concrete in the bottom of a bowl being used to hold a concrete flower pot.](https://i0.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Concrete_Pot_Step_By_Step-4320-1.jpg?resize=700%2C394&ssl=1)
![A smaller bowl is placed inside a larger bowl to finish the mould for a concrete pot.](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Concrete_Pot_Step_By_Step-4321-1.jpg?resize=700%2C394&ssl=1)
Place the smaller bowl carefully on top of the concrete being sure to leave a good inch or more clearance around the edge.
![A plank of wood and a weight is put onto of two bowls being used to make a concrete flower pot and cement is being scooped around the edges.](https://i1.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Concrete_Pot_Step_By_Step-4335-1.jpg?resize=700%2C394&ssl=1)
Place the plank of wood across the bowls and weigh it down to keep the tops of the bowls flush. Fill in the gap with concrete, when full gently poke around with the trowel and tap the edges to make sure the cement is distributed evenly and with no air pockets.
Now For The Exciting Bit…
Leave until it is dry, but not too dry. How long exactly depends on the temperature where you are. My husband left this pot for about an hour and a half in around the mid 20C. I can’t be exact but that is a rough guide.
Do be careful though as if the concrete is too dry it is harder to remove and is prone to breaking. There were a few trial-runs before he got it right.
![A trowel is being run around the outer edge of a mould holding a concrete flower pot to loosen the finished pot.](https://i1.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Concrete_Pot_Step_By_Step-4394-1.jpg?resize=700%2C394&ssl=1)
Once you think it is dry enough, remove the weight and inner bowl, then run a trowel around the outer edge in a similar way you would to remove a cake from a tin. Carefully and slowly twist and loosen the pot from the bowl.
Now is the time to add a drainage hole to the bottom. We used a thick metal pole and carefully skewered it through the base.
![](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Concrete_Pot_Step_By_Step-4401-1.jpg?resize=700%2C394&ssl=1)
Once the pot is loosened place the inner bowl back. This will help support the pot as it is turned out.
![A piece of wood is placed over a bowl to support the pot as it is turned out. Rather similar to turning out a cake.](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Concrete_Pot_Step_By_Step-4402-1.jpg?resize=700%2C394&ssl=1)
Place a plank of wood wide enough to cover the whole of the bowl.
![](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Concrete_Pot_Step_By_Step-4409-1.jpg?resize=700%2C394&ssl=1)
Then carefully invert the bowl in a similar fashion to removing a cake from its tin.
![A homemade concrete pot is removed from its outer mould.](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Concrete_Pot_Step_By_Step-4415-1.jpg?resize=700%2C394&ssl=1)
Lift the outer bowl off of the pot.
![A homemade concrete flower pot is lifted carefully from it's inner mould](https://i1.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Concrete_Pot_Step_By_Step-4417-1.jpg?resize=700%2C394&ssl=1)
Carefully lift the concrete flower pot off the small bowl used to support the middle.
![A homemade concrete flower pot](https://i1.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Concrete_Pot_Step_By_Step-4421-1.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
Your homemade concrete flower pot will be a little rough around the edges, but that will smooth out with a little rubbing. Leave the pot to dry out properly for a few days.
Ta-Da…
A couple of the pots my husband made. The stands were made out of the legs of old metal stools he had collected ‘just in case’. The yellowy one has an uneven rim caused by being a little heavy-handed removal from the moulds. It’s still perfectly usable and seemed a shame to waste it.
![Home made concrete flower pots containing succulents](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Concrete_Pot_Step_By_Step-5514-1.jpg?resize=700%2C394&ssl=1)
You can be creative. For one of the pots, Husband used two identical fancy pots as moulds which turned out nicely. I can’t share a photo as that one is on a wall and is far too heavy for me to lift down. Unfortunately, he hasn’t had much luck creating a square pot yet, the shape makes it difficult to remove from the mould, but I’m sure he’ll get there.
Ta-da! A concrete flower pot to be proud of – a step by step tutorial Click To TweetNow I just have to find more plants to fill the other five sitting on our wall! Hopefully by next year there should be a few cactus and succulents needing pots as I have a few propagating.
What was your lockdown project?
© 2020, Debbie. All rights reserved.
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