Easy DIY Concrete and Gold Planter!

My sister's birthday is coming up, so I thought I would make a fun, unique gift. I love this amazing Plantygon model on Thingiverse, but I thought it could use a bit more flair. Recently, I have also watched most of DIY Perks' videos on youtube, and I especially enjoy some of the concrete projects that he has done. So, I decided to combine these two things and make a Plantygon with a concrete bottom and a faux gold top. I made a render in Fusion360, and really liked how it looked, so I decided to make it!

For this project, you will need:

• 3D Printer
• moldMaster.stl
• moldBox.stl
• mainBody.stl
• Filament (I used PLA, but you could easily smooth if you used ABS.)
• Molding silicone
• Black primer
• Gold acrylic paint
• Plants
• Electronic scale / Measuring cup (depending on your silicone)

You only need one 'moldMaster' and 'moldBox', but you need a 'mainBody' for every planter you want to make.

The first step of most projects is to design your end product. Most of this work is already done for me since I'm using a premade model, but I still have to do some work. So, I pull the model into Fusion360 to make the necessary adjustments. Some of the comments on the original Thingiverse page had the excellent suggestion of half-filling these small squares on the sides, to allow for more dirt in the planter. This will also make adding the concrete in later easier, so there's an added bonus! After this easy addition, I then design what would end up being the concrete on the final build. This was done by offsetting the outside faces of the bottom half of the planter in by 1.5mm. This space will be where the concrete is molded to the end product. The third step was to create a mold box. This will be filled with the molding silicone, which will then cure around the original shape. Off to the printer!

This is the most boring part of the project. Printing! I send the mainBody file to Cura, which is what I'm going to use to slice the model. I recommend printing with 0.2mm layer height, and I have attached the project file if you want to see the settings I used. Anyway, after the main part is done printing, I start on the second print. This time, you only need the moldMaster. I send this to the printer, which is much easier and faster than the previous print. Now the last 3D printed part. The moldBox! This can be printed at .3mm layer height, and will not affect the finished planter. When this is all done, you can move on to the fun steps!

Before starting, I sanded the master with 80 grit, then 220 grit sandpaper, since this will be the outside of the concrete planter.

Now to the fun part. Before anything else, I cover the bottom of the mold box with saran wrap to make it watertight. I could have printed the bottom, but it would have taken much longer to print, so I thought this would be easier. Now I mix parts A and B of my silicone, making sure to follow the directions from the box. Now, I center the master in the box, setting a large bottle on top to weigh the master down, preventing it from floating to the surface. I then proceed to pour in the first bit of silicone. I don't fill up the box all the way yet, because the glass bottle would leave a hole in the bottom of the mold. Instead, I wait for the silicone to harden and remove the glass bottle. Now, with the cured silicone holding the master down, I fully fill the mold box to complete the mold. And now we wait.

While the mold is curing, I move on to making the print look good. I give this the same treatment as the master, first sanding with 80 grit sandpaper, before moving on to 220 grit. I really only worry about the top of the print, since the bottom will be covered with concrete by the time I'm done. After sanding, I set my print outside on a box, then evenly cover the planter with a coat of black primer. An hour later, the primer is dry and I can move on to painting. You could use gold spray paint, but I wasn't happy with the color of it. I paint with a sponge brush, but I'm not a painting expert, so don't take advice from me. Again, I don't focus on the bottom, but you will see the inside, so I try to paint that as well.

After the mold is dry and cured, I can make your concrete mix! I want this to have the consistency of a smoothie. I first fill the mold about halfway, then place the main body into the mold. The concrete needs to be pretty loose so that it surrounds the main body fully. I had to place the mixing cup on the main body to prevent it from floating. After about an hour, the concrete should be cured. If you didn't place the main body in correctly, you can remove it from the mold before the concrete is fully cured and knock the concrete off with a stick.

Now I have a few of these concrete planters, and I'm really happy with them! If you made these, please share them! I would love to see what you made! Obviously, these can be made with different color tops, and I believe you can color concrete with special pigments. If you enjoyed, I would really appreciate a vote for the contest. It means a ton!

I have not yet bought plants. I will try to remember to post some photos when I do :D