Thursday, June 3, 2010

Concrete Planters & Hurricanes

Hi everyone!
I've got another project to share with you, I just love this one!
The 80 pound bag from your local home improvement store, can conjure up several projects. The kids and I have made the classic 'stepping stone in the cake pan' project a couple times, which is a lot of fun. However, I have been wanting to make some small concrete planters for a while now...I had seen a project on the Designer Guys show, where Chris demonstrated making planters using stainless steel mixing bowls for molds. It was a great project, and I went on the hunt for stainless mixing bowls. I soon discovered that they were a little out of my price range. Plastic seemed to be an affordable alternative. The ones I selected (from Walmart) were a set of four nesting mixing bowls for the low, low, price of 3.50...that's a little better.

Here is what I used:
Standard Quick Set Concrete from Lowe's (under 4.00)
Bucket (to mix concrete in)
Water
Paint Stick
Something Weighty to
hold mixing bowl down: bricks, rocks, etc...
Nesting mixing bowls
Non-stick Cooking Spray
Rocks and Pebbles
Teenage Son (Optional, Husbands work too)

Mix a bucket full of concrete using your Teenage Son (or Husband).
Follow the directions on the bag of concrete, making sure the consistency is kinda like pancake batter.
Spray cooking spray on the inside of the largest bowl. Pour concrete into the bowl about mid-way. Using a smaller bowl in the nesting mixing bowl set, wiggle it into the wet concrete. Be sure to spray cooking oil on the outside of the smaller bowl. It will come up around the sides naturally. Weight it down, it will not stay if you don't. It will just push out. I found that even the weight of water worked too (the bowl on the bottom, pictured below)

Now is the time to decorate what will be the edge using rocks, pebbles, etc...anything you want. Living here in Missouri, red rocks are in abundance, so that's what I used, right out of my back yard!

Let it dry overnight. Gently remove the top bowl, turn the planter over and it will come right out, leaving you with this:
Now you are free to plant as you wish, I used more rocks in the bottom of the planter for drainage.
I love the look of them!


I decided not to plant in all of them, and use some for hurricanes. I just so happened to have some glass vases that fit in the planters. I want to make a few more to line my entire pathway! How fun would this be for a party? I really love the looks of this! I added some sand to catch the wax, a candle, some moss and some shells! So I took a little of my NC life and a little of my MO life and joined them to create a great looking hurricane!

Loverly!!


Maybe a centerpiece on your patio table?

Or maybe a couple on your steps?


I couldn't resist adding a picture of Daisy, she patiently waited for me to get done with my project and photographs way after the kids had gone!!



Thanks for stopping by! I hope you are inspired! This is a fun and easy project! I hope you'll try!






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59 comments:

  1. Those are stunning. Wow! What a fantastic idea, and very practical too since pots are not cheap! I love the pots with the candles and moss.

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  2. They look fabulous. I love them. Great looking planters and hurricanes. Thanks for the tutorial. Hugs, Marty

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  3. SHEL, HOW TALENTED YOU ARE. YOU COME BY IT HONESTLY. YOUR G-MOTHER SADIE, G-DAD ZEKE, YOUR MOM AND ALOT OF OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS ARE ALSO THAT WAY. KEEP UP THE CREATIVE WORK.
    A-CATHY

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  4. THANK FOR FOR SHARING WHAT A COOL IDEA LOVE THE WAY YOU ADDED THE STAR FISH !!!
    MAY HAVE TO MAKE ONE OR TWO :)
    I ENJOY YOUR BLOG !!
    WARMLY
    JANET

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  5. HI Michelle,
    That's a great idea, so clever and you said it was easy, so maybe I'll try it this weekend. Just what I need, another project that's not on the list!!
    Glad you stopped by to visit,hope you'll be back again soon. (I'll be back here, for sure!)
    XO
    Heidi - Heart and Home

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  6. Oh My Gosh - these are too fabulous! I'm working on my back yard and will definitely being doing something like this back there.

    I especially love the way you did the hurricanes and your styling is perfect!

    Would you do me a favor and link this to my garden party? I would love for my friends to find you!

    Thanks!
    Carmella

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  7. Love it....I'm thinking shells would look really cute in place of pebbles too!

    Have a great CSN certificate giveaway come on over and check it out.

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  8. Wonderful ideal, you did a great job on them. You made it sound so simple that even I could do it. Come visit I have a givaway going on. Three books with lots of ideals. Thanks for sharing your creativity.
    Sandy

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  9. This will be perfect for my daughter's upcoming bridal shower. I will use shells as that is the theme! Thanks!!!!!

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  10. This is awesome! I love the look, especially with the candles! We might have to give this a try! Thanks for sharing :)

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  11. looks fantastic and daisy is adorable~

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  12. These are astounding! I have bags of beautiful stones collected from Texas, Minnesota and Washington, all waiting for a wonderful project. I couldn't bear to throw them away, now you've given me a beautiful reason not to. Thank you for sharing your creativity.

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  13. my oh my I love the ones with the candles in them. so peaceful... and the pup is too cute!!!!

    ~ Emily N. from "too Blessed to Stress"

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  14. That is absolutely fabulous. I have used that quik-concrete stuff before. I love how you used it..so clever! Your blog is fabulous. absolutely fabulous!

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  15. This is really awesome! I am going to have a deck on my new house that I want to make sort of "garden-y" so this is going to be on my to-do list :). I am having fun exploring your blog - that burlap runner is so adorable. GREAT ideas!!!

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  16. what a GREAT idea! These turned out awesome! I can't wait to do this too :)
    Thanks for sharing!
    Jennifer

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  17. Hello! I found you through Southern fried Dreams garden party. I love your planters! I especially love how they look with the hurricanes. Thank you for sharing them.

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  18. Love this idea! The combo of the stones and concrete and plants and moss and the hurricanes and the planted pots....so lovely and oh so doable! Thanks for posting this!

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  19. Wow! What a great idea! I love it. I'm gonna have to try this.

    Thanks for visiting my groovy blog. I'm glad I could help you get your groove on! :)

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  20. This is an awesome project, they turned out great! Try to come to my Sister Sister linky party on Sunday and share it! Thanks!

    Amanda
    http://blog.kuzakscloset.com/

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  21. Those are amazing! You are so creative!

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  22. Such a neat yet simple project!

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  23. Oh Michelle! Love Love LOVE! I have 10 bags of concrete {well ok maybe more like 50} left over from our deck project last year and I have been wanting to make some planters. These turned out gorgeous! I just adore the hurricanes - so pretty! Amazing job - thanks for sharing your tips! {P.S. Happy belated b-day} Have a great weekend! Stephanie Lynn

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  24. This is so pretty! I'd love to make something like this. I can even imagine pretty planters... I just love the rustic touches!

    Thanks for linking up to SNS!
    Donna

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  25. I love the earthy, rustic look they have. Your photos are wonderful!

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  26. Wow!! How lovely. I am hosting a Giveaway from CSN stores. Do stop by my blog. I would love to see you there! Take care Anu.

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  27. great job! we had concrete mix left over from the deck and fence party... I should have brought it home with me!
    have a great weekend!
    gail

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  28. I love the look of them too! You know how much I love to decorate outside. Gotta try this!
    Brenda

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  29. Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing and visiting my blog!

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  30. Hi Michelle-

    I love when I see such a great project like this. I love the texture of the concrete and the stones against the plants, as well as with the candles, and sand. They look wonderful on your walkway.
    Diane

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  32. I've been wanting to get some quick concrete to play with for a variety of projects - now I want it more than ever - got to make myself do it.

    These are fabulous - just enough rustic to be totally awesome.

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  33. This looks so fun!! What a great idea! Thanks so much for the tutorial and the inspiration!

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  34. This is a fantastic idea! I've thought about putting few potted plants in my landscaping, but I thought the pots would distract and look messy. These are the perfect solution and the price is just right! Great idea! Lisa~

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  35. FAnulous idea! Thank you for sharing, I am getting ready to do a backyard re-model so this is an idea I am going to keep handy.

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  36. These are fantastic! I definitely want to try them. Daisy is too cute. Thanks for sharing! Found you from Under the Table and Dreaming. I'll be following along now!


    heather

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  37. These turned out so good! I love that you used some for the hurricanes. I may do some with just shells since that is what I have plenty of. But even broken tile or dishes would look great. How much of the quickcrete would you say you used?

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  38. I also wanted to thank you for stopping by and leaving such a sweet comment! Thanks :)

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  39. My, My, MY! How can I ever get all the projects I want to get done finished if I keep seeing such wonderful projects as this???!!! I love this one! I've done the planters with concrete but never the way you did...got to go start mixing it up:-)

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  40. Very clever. Love the look of these and easy supplies!

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  41. Loving these! Gonna get a bunch of my girls together and make some! Even thinking of mounting some on each other to make a tiered one... if that makes any sense!

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  42. um... do you have a facebook page?

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  43. Hi Michelle
    Your cement planters look great. I've done the stepping stone thing with an old pan but this is really neat. Thanks for sharing. . cant wait to give it a try.

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  44. Oh My Goodness! I have got to make some of these candle holders. How do you dream up this stuff? Great idea! laurie

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  45. Thanks for all the lovely comments everyone!
    Jessica, I have a fan page on my sidebar, and my personal FB on the very bottom...

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  46. What a fantastic idea! I've never seen anything like it and I am in LOVE. Oh, and happy birthday.

    Your blog looks great so I'm adding it to my reader! yay!

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  47. Hi Michelle! I’ll be featuring your hurricanes today! Stop by and grab a featured button if you like. Thanks again for joining the Sunday Showcase Party! ~ Stephanie Lynn

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  48. These turned out so nice. It's one of those projects that I've had the desire to do, but never followed through on it. You added a wonderful unique touch with the hurricanes and the river rock. It looks like something I would find at an upscale nursery. Beautiful.

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  49. Those are amazing, and what a great tutorial. Thanks for making it look ...almost...easy!!!

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  50. Those are fantastic! Thanks for the great instructions, i think i inherited a couple of bags of cement when our neighbors moved so i might have to give this a shot (unless husband has other plans for the cement..)

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  51. love these! and I think I have some quickrete sitting around somewhere...

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  52. I love this idea. There are so many different ways you could go with these!

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  53. Wow Thats amazing...
    I really loved it
    Thanks for sharing this great post..
    Floor Resurfacing Toronto

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  54. Hi Michelle! I host a garden party on thursday's & would love to have you link this or another garden post.....or just come by to visit. Love finding other gardeners who have something inspiring to share!!! xoxo, Tracie

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Thank You for taking the time to comment! Because of the insane amount of spam comments, I had to stop anonymous comments-sorry for the inconvenience.
Michelle