Have you ever decided to make something, rushed into it without doing your research, and had your project fail miserably wasting the only day of sunshine and warmish weather in a week necessary to do it again? I set out to make a geometric planter out of cement after having seen some darling ones from Martha Stewart and others floating around Pinterest. When Brett and I were first married he worked at a cement plant making decorative pieces from rubber molds. So I knew I could probably come up with something slightly more interesting than a milk carton shape—if I could figure out the rubber problem.I made a mold out of cardboard, used some spray rubber to seal it, and then filled it with cement. Even though I asked the employees at the hardware store if this was the best kind of cement to use, it was too chunky and broke off at the corners. I know there are finer cements available, but I didn't want to go searching all over town and buy the wrong kind again. So I switched gears and found some plaster at a hobby store. It was cheaper and didn't require as much drying time. And I didn't need to use the rubber spray, because plaster is easy to sand for smoother edges after it's dry. Sometimes trying something new means learning what to do better next time!1. Supplies: cardboard panels, plaster, a ruler, duct tape, a pen, scissors or an X-acto knife, spray cooking oil (not shown), water, plastic bottle for the negative space, a bucket to mix your plaster in, sandpaper, and whatever paint you'd like to use to finish it. 2. For the planter I used a 12" long and 6" wide diamond shape for my template. Then I cut out two more and then a regular triangle measuring 6" on each side. For the smaller shape I used a 3" x 6" diamond template. 3. I taped the three diamond shapes together with their bottom points aligned and then taped the triangle shape to the outer top edge of one of the diamonds as shown. 4. I folded them all together and taped my edges making sure to align all of my points. 5. Spray the inside of the mold with cooking oil and mix your plaster as directed. Fill the mold with plaster about 3/4 full, spray a plastic bottle that isn't touching the edges of your mold with cooking spray and insert until the plaster fills the mold. Add extra if you need to, but do it quickly as plaster sets really fast. 6. If you're not making a planter just fill your mold to the top but don't over fill. Follow directions for dry times but remove your plastic insert after you can tell your plaster has firmed up nicely. I waited too long and had to break my glass with a hammer and chip away at the inside. It's still a little messy, but you can't see it if there's plant in it. 7. Sand your plaster piece and paint it. I used white paint and gloss for my planter. But due to freezing temps outside, I had to resort to Plan B for my decorative piece. 8. Since I wanted a metallic piece and couldn't use my spray paint I resorted to my Essie metallic nail polish. It dried quickly and has a rich metallic hue. Note: This planter doesn't have holes through to the bottom but you could make them by placing a straw or two under the bottle.I'm so happy these pieces turned out well in the end! It's so fun to start exploring with a new medium and thinking about options for future projects. –Rachel
83 Comments
Oohh! that is such a cool planter! and thanks for posting, it goes to show that with a little determination & creativity you can do anything!! thanks for the inspiration!
Yay, I need to try this, it looks mystical! 😀
Fab idea, thanks for sharing!
Great Idea.. I will try it soon…
Oh neat! Such a fun idea 🙂
Your DIY’s are always awesome, Rachel! This looks awesome, I’m SO loving gold right now and I think I need to add some of it to our new apartment!
xxx Sabrina
http://butterflybrainblog.blogspot.com/
I love the smaller, nail polished one!! Super cute.
http://sarahthearchitect.com/
Cute idea! Love metallic shades 🙂
Lulu xx
http://www.luluslittlewonderland.blogspot.com
Cute! They’re kind of like the bigger version of my tiny polymer clay geometric planters. I’ve been thinking of giving Martha’s cement versions a try, too. Is plaster water-tight? I’ve never used it, but now I’m intrigued!
And yep, I have way too many failed DIY projects to count 😉
Nice idea! I think you have the best job in the world..
I never would have thought of working with cement or plaster before! I would even love it just for a paper weight.
Looks really great, I like it!
I love the metallic one! Such a fab idea!
http://erstwhilefelicity.blogspot.co.uk/
such a great idea! perfect!
http://iamturquoise.wordpress.com
Looks great in gold!!
Incredibly original! Great job!
http://plantingloveseeds.blogspot.ca/
So cute!! xx
http://www.creativityandchocolate.blogspot.com
al that cool, I love diy
Love the geometric shape and the pop of neon!
Drey – Highdollarhippie.blogspot.com
soooo cute !!!
http://hidinginheaven.blogspot.fr/
What an amazing idea!!
MY DAILY OUTFITS IN http://cravingforbarneys.com
Great DIY! I am definitely doing this for my new apartment!
It’s soo original!!! I like it a lot, specially the white one.
http://martabarcelonastyle.blogspot.com.es
(a rainy outfit with cheap clothes)
Great DIY!
Oooooo! I can’t wait to give this a go, love the look of ’em! X
dustingoficingsugar.blogspot.co.uk
What a great idea! I love the geometric look for everything and anything, so this is perfect!
This will be perfect to mix up my planter a little bit 🙂 Thanks!!
Love this DIY! Never thought of using plaster! Definitely going to try it!
Love it!! Some days I wish I had a weekend off where I can be creative and “play” this would be on the top of my list. I love how your final pick turned out.
How cute, I might give it a try 🙂
aw, it came out so beautiful!
That is an amazing DIY!! And lovely innovative and chic planter! And the Antique gold looks stunning.. Can’t wait to try it , lets see hiw mine goes
very cute and so doable! thanks for sharing
kw ladies in navy
That is way cool!
I just bought the same cactus! Great idea to out it in a pot like this!
such an adorable idea, thanks for sharing!
What a cool idea! I love everything geometrical.
Jillian – http://epic-thread.blogspot.com
Genius!
Really inventive – and it does NOT look like cardboard at all! I have to know where you got that gorgeous pink striped blanket – its lovely!!
Xoxo,
Ko-Shin
http://www.diamondlifeandstyle.com
These are awesome! I can’t wait to try them. They seriously look so good.
Leah
e-plus-l.blogspot.com
So neat!
Love how this turned out 🙂
This is impressive! Bravo!
these are super cool! thick pink or blue foam insulation boards also work well as concrete molds (coated with vaseline or cooking spray) and cut easily! it would be cool to line the interior of the cardboard with some kind of texture – lace, perforated metal, bubble wrap??!!!!?!?!!! i’m excited to try this!
Cooooool!
Really cool! Love it. http://www.hiddenbaby.com/blogs/baby-blog
This is so cool! Must try- pinned it!
xx Kait
ChickadeeSays
what a cute idea! I need to think(pardon the pun) outside of the box a little more with projects!
Sarah=)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/owleyevintage
My father sells self-leveling concrete for office buildings, I may have to borrow some now…
Melinda
This is so cool..thanks for posting!!!
Great idea! Time to go use those cardboard boxes 🙂
Liz @ rusticpeach.com
They look fantastic and I love the cactus as well.
I wanted to also mention that I have mentioned you girls in my blog re: DIY Anchor Statement – I wrote a theme on it and loved your post on it some time ago.
Donna
nectarandstone.blogspot.com
xx
I’m a graduate sculpture student and we literally JUST did a project of containers made from cement, and here’s my tips for making one from cement:
1.) make a mold using green foam/polystyrene (Lowe’s), and piece the mold together using hot glue
2.) Be sure to spray the inside with Pam/mold release
3.) use this mixture for the best mix of concrete:
4 parts concrete mix
3 parts sand
2 parts cement mix
2+ parts water
**I used an old yogurt cup as a measuring cup
Pour the concrete mixture and let cure for a few days, then pop off the foam walls of the mold! 🙂
Lauren
Such a creative idea!
this looks so awesome — you did such a great job!
nice idea!
xx
http://www.ireneccloset.com
Wow what a creative idea! I recently saw a dinosaur shaped planter box like this in a shop the other day, similar idea and just loved it!
xoxo Amie @ Spoonful of Vintage
What a great DIY! I will have to try this next time I have some free time. Plaster seems much easier to work with than cement.
-Ashleigh
http://www.lovecraftandlace.blogspot.com
Great idea!
http://fashionbrunette.blogspot.com
It looks great! I reckon it might be possible to do one out of wood too? Love it.
xx Penny http://thesefinedays.com/
Love it !
http://www.thestilettoholic.com/2013/02/25/on-the-road/
Fantastic idea! I’ve shared it in Twitter!
Thanks!
Ladies. I don’t even know how you do it! I never would have thought to create something like this. Definitely pinning for later use!
xo Deanna | http://curlyadventures.blogspot.com
What a cool concept! I think that would look great with a large spindly spider plant 🙂
xoxo, Em
http://stylebydirtywater.blogspot.com
so original and nice DIY!!!
http://www.thestelstyle.com
so crafty! i love it. and the application of nail polish- inspired!
thanks for sharing.
Desiree from http://www.champagneeveryday.com
This is great!! But be careful when watering, plaster of paris will disintegrate over time when it comes in contact with water since it is so porous. My mom is a sculptor and uses hydrostone in place of plaster. It’s MUCH more resistant to water and has the same consistency of plaster when pouring (you can actually get pretty detailed pours).
Very cool and it goes very nicely with your table set-up.
i am NOT crafty, but i might need to try this! i love the gold.
http://www.crumpledfantasies.com
This is my favourite crafty project posted by your guys yet!
love Outie.
http://www.outie.co.nz
http://www.facebook.com/OutieNZ
Love the antique goals shade of the planter and ur nail paint.. And extremely innovative DIY. I sometimes wish I was so talented with DIYs
What a beautiful & unique idea! Something I’ve never seen before & it looks amazing as a simple statement piece of decoration! PROPS!!!
http://www.tipsywriter.com
Adorable idea! Definitely need to try this one!
xo Heather
http://ahopelessnotebook.blogspot.com/
Chris,
Thanks for the tip about water and plaster. I simply set my succulent inside using the plastic pot it came with and always take my plants out of their fancy pots to water them at the sink so they don’t leak onto the wood underneath so I didn’t consider how it might work with sitting water in it. Live and learn! 😉
I just love this idea! I’m putting this into my list of weekend nesting projects. Thank you for posting this.
I love these! So cute and seems easy to make! ^.^
xo Sara @ tinysugarbee.blogspot.com
this diy is awesome, as all of rachel’s are! i love how she is never scared to look outside the craft-store for supplies and takes risks with making functional and beautiful things.
So glad you stuck it through! What a beautiful project!
I had the ultimate Oh Me God face when I saw it was cardboard. You guys are amazing!
Awesome!! I will try to make this 😉
I have a book that shows you how to make a candle with that same cardboard and duct tape method. This turned out super cute.
Cute little project. If you like to make many I have a great tip: use vinyl tile for the mold. Go here to see and get the pattern to make a diamond inspired one! It works great!
http://www.madebybarb.com/2017/04/14/concrete-geometric-polyhedron-container-with-free-pattern/
Nice idea – thanks you very much!