Superb tutorial
Thanks so much for the step by step process. I never got the time to do any pots this past week I had so many other things to catch up on...
I hope to give it a try in the next few weeks, looking forward to the Fun

Thanks for all the info and photos. Do they take the winter well? It can get bellow 0 here but so far I have not had any trouble with hypertufa cracking .

Thanks Kin and Randy. I finally had time to make a few pots this weekend. My 14 yr old niece is visiting and she was my photographer, and also helped make pots. Was fun working with somebody.

Randy, I just leave all my hypertufa pots outside all winter. I set the pots up against the side of the house and that's it - they're on their own. And I do leave them planted too. Never had problems with breaking either. I like things that take minimal messing around with. I don't plant bulbs that need digging up in the fall either.

Great tutorial Chris. I hope to be making these when my daughter gets here next month. I can't wait to try it.

Thanks Lynn, I know you'll have fun!

Loved it, no wonder mine didn't do right first time. I'll try it again.
You did Great!!!! Love it. I get to go play in the mud!!!!! Thanks, Chris.

Playing in the mud is always a good thing - whether the mud is dirt or hypertufa. Show us pictures when you're done!

Here are the last couple of pictures to finish up the tutorial. After the 2 days of sitting, I slice the top/side of the Ziplock bag open before trying to remove the pot so I don't put any extra stress on the pot because it is still really fragile.

After removing the pot carefully use a wire brush and brush the sides and top edge. This removes the lines that the bag made in the sides and roughs it up to give it that "old" look. Do this gently - if you brush too hard you'll tear chunks out of it. You may need to use a screwdriver to open up the drainage hole a bit again too.

After this step I mist the pot and put it in a (sealed) plastic grocery bag for 20-23 days, misting as needed to keep moisture in the bag. Then I soak it in a tub of water for 2-5 days, changing the water each day. This leaches out the lime. And now its ready to go!

Be sure to post pictures of how your pots turned out.

Hi
I did manage to make a baggie pinch pot but it's so pathetic looking I didn't take a picture of it
I did make a larger one using a plastic container that a store bought pound cake comes in. I used your recipe and added some left over pond soil gravel for some added color.
It was fun making some hypertufa pots again.
Thanks again Chris for the wonderful tutorial!

You did great, Kin. I use a plastic container for mine. Got them sitting in water now.

That is a great pot Kin. I even see some pattern on the outside edge. Really great affect.
I still haven't made a hypertufa. Hopefully next week I will be able to do one.

I made a couple using old baskets from the recycle - don't use any that you like, because you have to cut them to get them off. I pack the hypertufa inside, so that the outside has a texture, oh, and don't forget to use a plastic liner so the hypertufa mix doesn't get right into the basket and break off.


I definitely want to make more, but it takes some planning.

Neat!!!! Like those. You did great, Jacki....

Chris, your pinch pot tutorial would make a terrific article.....hint, hint.....

Thanks Charleen - it makes me want to get something going and soon, before it gets too cold. Summer is just too darned short...

Those pots are fantastic, Jacki REally like the texture from the baskets.
Thanks Charleen and Lynn. looking forward to your pics Charleen and when you get some
made Lynn.

Wow Jacki, those are really great pots. Love the pattern on the outside.

Nice looking pot Kin - I really like the color from the pond gravel.

Your basket pots really turned out nice Jacki. I made a few small ones in the past, nothing as impressive as your though. I especially like the first one in your post - great unusual shape!

Janet, I'll put a pinch pot article on my list of "things to do". I might not get to it until fall though. My brothers family has been here for 3 weeks and they're leaving today. Am sad to see them go, it's been so much fun. We made tufa pots together, painted cement leaves, planted some semp pots and they took a bunch home. All my nieces are starting to get the gardening bug from me and it's so fun! But I've got so much catching up to do. I just feel like everything has gotten away from me in the last month.

I actually got around to making a tufa planter this morning too. It's kind of a free form thing I did in a pile of sand. I'll get a picture when I get it out of the sand.

Can't wait to see it Chris. I know how you feel, one of my son's and his family left today. I already miss them.