For any gardener, beginner or experienced, one of the joys of planting is finding the perfect pot in which to display your plants. For some this can become a rather frustrating hunt – or you can simply create your own pot from hypertufa. Hypertufa is a lightweight, porous material made using Portland cement. Follow along below to make your own pots at home.

Mix together 2 parts Portland cement, 3 parts peat moss and 3 parts either sand, vermiculite or perlite. Those made using sand will be much heavier but last upwards of 20+ years. Moisten peat moss , then miix all three ingredients together thoroughly, making sure no lumps remain. Gradually add water until you achieve the consistency of cookie dough. A lump of hypertufa should hold its shape when you squeeze it like in the picture below.

When placing in mold, you can either line with a thin sheet of plastic or thoroughly spray mold with cooking oil.  Place a 2-3 inch layer of hypertufa on the bottom of your mold then line the side with another 1 to 2 inch layer. Don’t forget to create drainage holes in the bottom of your container (see pic)! You can place an object in the middle to create a uniform opening but this is optional. Once done, wrap entire project in a plastic bag and set aside to dry in a cool, dark spot.

Allow to dry in the mold for at least 24-48 hours, then remove from mold. Re-wrap in plastic and keep in cool area for an additional 2-3 weeks.

Your design is only limited by your imagination!! Add cement color to mix (takes quite a bit), paint a dry pot with acrylic paints, add shells or beads. The beauty of making your own pots is that you have the freedom of creativity to make whatever you can imagine!