DIY cement pots

[Neli]

I have been experimenting with many designs and methods...some are here and some on my blog.
https://www.facebook.com/neli.stoyanova ... 676&type=3
if you see anything you like and want to know how I make them just post the picture here.
This one is for you Alpine as requested:
I get some garden soil and make it a rough shape line a wall the shape of the pot and a bit higher than intended height. Very rough,,,and thick just enough to hold the cement when plastered inside.
this soil initially was thicker but even this is fine. The soil must be dump.

then I make sure the lower section of the soil has like 1cm nice and smooth edge...the walls are somewhat well shaped and then
I get some think flat and press on top to make the top surface flat and the top 0.5-1cm vertical almost...I check it up and smoothen the top edge and make sure it is horizontal. Some time it does not
I ger some stone with rough surface and press it on the inside of the mold to create stone like look.
happen...but with time you will be an expert...if it does not happen I grind them with an angle grinder and they become smooth.
Then I make a mix of 1cement to 2 very fine building sand...make the mix hard or it will slide with gravity.
Some time I add coloring agent in the mox, some time I add it on top. I use iron oxide or PVA paint mixed into the mix by substituting some of the water with it. Just make sure you buy the darkest color since it gets very light when You add it to the cement.
Take small pieces and start pressing them next to each other so you monitor from the side the thickness of the plaster. then smooth it with a spon.
ssome I just paint on the outside with PVA, and before it fries I wash it out so it remains only in the inside spaces...and I use different colors. Then I paint with varnish for stones. Inside I paint with rubber pool paint so the roots for acid loving plants dont touch the concrete.
when it is dry you just wash the soil off with a brush.
some molds I make inverted...smooth and well shaped and plaster on top.

some time I use a ballon for this pots





I have many different methods...and pots.

[Neli]

Forgot to say you put plastic under the soil mold and the bottom is just open. Also you need to round the edges on top...

[Isitangus]

Great post, I have also seen/read that ground up perlite or vermiculite can be used to make the pots not as heavy

[Neli]

This one I made from normal tapper ware plastic dish as mold

[alpineart]

Hi Neli , thankyou for posting this as a topic , some of us dont have a kiln and love to dabble in creativity of this kind .The Cresent pot and the tray on the table are very striking and could reside at my place thats for sure .

Unfortunately I don't have the time for Facebook or Twitter but I do visit your Blog for some inspiration of a different kind . As soon as my work is done I will certainly have a play with your methods and hopefully create some fantastic pieces like these .

Cheers Alpine.

[Bush bunny]

That is fascinating, I will try to do it. Sorry sounding ignorant. But do you use pre-mixed quick drying cement, or mix it yourself. I can get a 20 kg bag of cement, which I won't need, but can keep it dry. I think you are very clever Neli.

Cheers Pat from Armidale.

[Neli]

I am in Africa Darling Pat. Thank you.
I dont get here any pots or anything for bonsai. I have to make it myself. I like pretty things but it is hard for me to have them easily. We dont have premixed cement here...I use white cement since it is stronger but more expensive. But I have used the normal gray cement for my grow on pots...and so far they lasted 25 years+...wooden trays will not last here a month= termites.
I have so many trees that if I have to buy nice pots for all of them I will spend not less that USD 50 000. I do all this for fun so spending that kind of money on pots will not be fun.
I have lots of Tokoname pots from Japan...but those I keep for my special trees, and most of them are small. I also bought some pots from UK last month from Don Burton and Walsal...and was given 2 present...But the big ones broke in the suitcase by the time I brought them home.
Creating things is fun for me...and makes the Hobby more enjoyable.
I am still experimenting with the bonsai pots...all the ones you see are mostly test pots to see what mistakes I make and make the next ones better...but most of the ones I have are one off.

[Neli]

I am in Africa Darling Pat. Thank you.
I dont get here any pots or anything for bonsai. I have to make it myself. I like pretty things but it is hard for me to have them easily. We dont have premixed cement here...I use white cement since it is stronger but more expensive. But I have used the normal gray cement for my grow on pots...and so far they lasted 25 years+...wooden trays will not last here a month= termites.
I have so many trees that if I have to buy nice pots for all of them I will spend not less that USD 50 000. I do all this for fun so spending that kind of money on pots will not be fun.
I have lots of Tokoname pots from Japan...but those I keep for my special trees, and most of them are small. I also bought some pots from UK last month from Don Burton and Walsal...and was given 2 present...But the big ones broke in the suitcase by the time I brought them home.
Creating things is fun for me...and makes the Hobby more enjoyable.
I am still experimenting with the bonsai pots...all the ones you see are mostly test pots to see what mistakes I make and make the next ones better...but most of the ones I have are one off.
This pot I made and gave present in UK as a small prize they have in a competition.

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[Neli]

Hi Neli , thankyou for posting this as a topic , some of us dont have a kiln and love to dabble in creativity of this kind .The Cresent pot and the tray on the table are very striking and could reside at my place thats for sure .

Unfortunately I don't have the time for Facebook or Twitter but I do visit your Blog for some inspiration of a different kind . As soon as my work is done I will certainly have a play with your methods and hopefully create some fantastic pieces like these .

Cheers Alpine.

Alpine,
the pot just above your pot looks good also and it is the easiest to make...The different colors you see are sort of in relief...and I like it a lot.
The trick with cement pots is to make them as irregular as possible so any mistakes look like a design.

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This one is not very level...
This one has no feet and is not varnished yet and is the easiest to make.

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This one is easy also...Looks higher on one side but it is the picture.

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This ones are with the soil on the inside:

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This one is the top one after varnishing it.

[Neli]

This one is from taper ware but looks better if you round the edge inside.

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This is how I make stone pots, but this stones are very soft...and it takes 10 min to make a pot...I have some very big ones...like 50-60 cm.

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I can carve the stone any way I want and make them as I need them...but got a truck load of stones so I have what ever I need.

[Bush bunny]

In Africa which part. I had a dear old high school friend, who was in the Congo, a prospecting geologist, he sent me a 5.5 carat amethyst in exchange for a copy of one of my books. We had to do via his daughter in London, no reliable post where he was. Unfortunately passed a year or two ago. But I am inspired by your concrete pots, I might try it myself, should be fun, so long as I don't get stuck to it too. LOL.

[Neli]

In Africa which part. I had a dear old high school friend, who was in the Congo, a prospecting geologist, he sent me a 5.5 carat amethyst in exchange for a copy of one of my books. We had to do via his daughter in London, no reliable post where he was. Unfortunately passed a year or two ago. But I am inspired by your concrete pots, I might try it myself, should be fun, so long as I don't get stuck to it too. LOL.

I am in Zambia...next door to Congo...we have here the roads and bridges built from amethyst... But good quality amethyst is not that cheap.

[Bush bunny]

Well the stone was guaranteed to come from Zambia, small world is it not? It was already faceted and the jeweler melted some of my wedding rings, (I had several not all mine, LOL) and made the stone into a pendant. His name was Anthony Dawson. Pretty rough out there too with the political situation. He married a Congolese young woman whose father was head of the local police. 35 years younger.

[Pezz95]

This was really informative! I want to try this myself now