DIY Drop Cloth & Cement Planters

You can make the coolest textured pots out of concrete and drop cloth fabric. They are really easy but super messy to make. Let me show you how I made my cool cement planters so you can do it yourself 🙂

The sizes and possibilities are only limited by the containers you have. I love the juxtaposition of the bright flowers with the rough texture of cement.

I also made little pots that are suitable for one flower and also a larger planter.

How to Make Planters with Concrete

Supplies you need:

• Portland Cement
• Large plastic trash bags
• Canvas drop cloth
• Water
• Shallow container for mixing concrete
• rubber gloves (highly recommend kitchen ones that go to your elbows)
• Eco Scraps Potting Mix
• protective face mask
• Flowers

How To Make The Cement Planters

Step 1 – Mix the Cement

Pour some of the Portland cement mix into a shallow container. 

Add water a little at a time and mix your concrete. 

Keep adding water and mixing by hand, getting out all the clumps, until it is the consistency of thick mud.

Step 2 – Create the Shape

I used cut scrap pieces of plywood for my larger planter pots and styrofoam cups for my smaller pots. 

But you can use anything you want to create the shape: old coffee cans, paint cans, mason jars, etc.  

Just cover your area with plastic so it won’t stick to it.

Step 3 – Prepare the Cloths

Cut a piece of drop cloth to size making sure you have enough on all sides to make it as tall as you want.

Step 4 – Dip Cloths in the Cement Mix

Time to get messy. Dip your drop cloth in the concrete mix making sure it is completely soaked.

Squeeze out excess cement.  You want it thick on the fabric but not running off of it.

Step 5 – Set it to Dry

Set it on top of your plastic covered container. 

Level it out and fold the corners however you want. 

You can cut off any excess fabric with an old pair of scissors at this point.

Then wait two days until it fully dries. 

You can tell it is dry when the entire piece is a light gray color. 

Remove pot from plastic.

Step 6 – Adding Rope (Optional)

I added some rope around my big pots to give it added stability and a little flare but you don’t have to. 

The pots are a little flimsy though and they will expand a bit if you don’t secure it.

Step 7 – Drill the holes

Drill drainage holes at the bottom.

Step 8 – Add Soil

I then added my potting soil.  I used EcoScraps potting mix. 

The thing I was so impressed with EcoScraps is it was started by two college students who noticed how much food was being wasted at an all-you-can-eat buffet. 

So they decided to turn scraps of food into gardening products.  I love it when people see a need and pursue it with a passion to create a product. 

Their mission is simple: grow gardens, not landfills. I can get behind that.

Step 9 – Plants

Then I planted my plants and watered them.

Aren’t the little tiny cement planters adorable?

I paired those little guys with my drip pots I made last year.

Here is the larger cement planter.

Aren’t they fun?

Can you believe in a recent study tracking 25 top-selling food products from the farm to the fork, revealed the ugly truth behind everyday food waste:

In the first six months of the year, 28,500 tons of food waste is generated

– 68% of all salad grown for bagged salads ends up wasted, with the majority of waste happening at home

-40% of apples end up as food waste

– Just under half of all bakery items are wasted

-A quarter of grapes are wasted between the vine and the fruit bowl, with the majority of waste happening in the home

– A fifth of all bananas are wasted and one in ten bananas bought by customers end up in a bin.

YIKES!  That is why I think it is so cool what EcoScraps does. 

They turn that waste into something that can help sustain our environment and give life again. 

Check out all their products at Lowes.