Here's a fun (and quick) way to make a faux hypertufa planter for our favorite hardy succulent plants:


This is a fish box, used for shipping salmon, but the main thing is to use one that has 1" thick sides (the beverage and camping coolers are too thin).




Scrape off the logo with a razor blade, then rough up the rest of it. Using a heat paint stripper gun, carefully glaze over the whole surface. You can sand it but I wanted it rugged and rustic looking.



The paint I used is floor and porch acrylic paint (no smell!) and then acrylic craft paints - total outlay: $16 for the floor paint, $5 for the craft paints.


Plant your favorite Jovibarba, Sempervivum or Sedum (or all three!) and enjoy.


The best part of this project? I finished this whole deal in one day (in increments of a few minutes each step) as opposed to the real hypertufa which can take days or weeks until you can display your finished pot!

Just wanted to add; this was not my idea; the information came from here; http://www.srgc.org.uk/feature...

Way cool Jacki. Where can a person get those fish styrofoam containers?

Here is a list of items that can be used in your styrofoam projects. These have come from several posts throughout this thread. : )

1. Styrofoam glue http://www.squidoo.com/styrofo...
SikaBond http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/...
Loctight http://www.homedepot.com/webap...

2. PL polyurethane construction adheasive... [HD & Lowes ] for the outer edges.

3. 4" exterior screws to hold them together.. now these screws won't hold the foam real well .. used alone.... but when they go through the adheasive inbetween.. it coats the screws wth adheasive.. and it's taken into the second foam board... when it sets up in there.. it's the adheasive that holds it in there... not so much the threadding on the screws.. http://garden.org/thread/view_...

4. Synthetic stucco to cover it with.. Parex. http://www.lahabrastucco.com/c...
http://garden.org/thread/view_...

Wooohooo....thanks Jacki....I knew those things had to be good for something other than their purpose. I know what I'm going to be doing soon.

If you ask at your local Overwaitea or other grocery chain, sometimes they'll have them, or even better a local butcher or fish shop. I also had a though that sometimes you get stereo or computer components in a similar weight of Styrofoam, so ask at the Radio Shack or other appliance store. Around here, you can't recycle them so they just go into the landfill so they will be happy to have you take them. I'm going to do some research on if there's a kind of glue you could use to stick some separate pieces together - imagine pieces stacked to make it look like a rock outcropping!

Creative juices flowing for you Jacki....You've got me thinking too!

I'll be waiting to see where you take this, Linda!

Great idea Jacki, you could kind of carve it to make it more rock shaped.

Exactly - and the more of the stuff we can keep out of the landfill, the better. This way, you could use almost anything, even the bits that are too thin otherwise, by 'plying' them together. I'll see what I can come up with...

Cant' wait for the info.

Now how did I miss this thread? Those are nice Jacki. If anyone has any concerns about hypertufa freezing/thawing, this is a great alternative. You did a wonderful job with the colors too. Thanks for the idea!

You're welcome, everyone - glad I could help inspire you!

I'm looking forward to some of this from Christmas gifts....
Excited about the packaging and not whatever the actual gift is...

That's too funny Linda - just like a little kid, playing with the wrapping paper

I want to see pictures when you make one!

Me too, me too!

Me three.

I'm kicking myself that I threw out the packaging from my new computer - that would be perfect!

I understand...right before Jacki posted on how to make planters from this, I threw out several big pieces, from TV and computer packing.......

Same here, from a new computer.