How to Make an Amethyst Geode Plaster Planter

When I was growing up I remember one thing distinctly - plants.They were all around me.My grandma loved them so much she would teach me something about each plant - how often to water,where to keep and how to take care of them.I didn't quite understand why she loved gardening so much but now that I have grown up I see it in myself,too.There is nothing like a little pop of green to finish the overall look of any interior and pull everything nicely together.Plus,it's scientifically proven that looking at greenery is soothing for your eyes.So the more plants,the merrier!

I've had this beautiful succulent for a while but it has sat in its ugly plastic planter long enough.I recently decided to make a planter for it using plaster.I had never worked with plaster before so this was a learning experience.

Spoiler alert: I loved the end result!

You will need:

• Plaster
• Water
• A bucket to mix everything in
• A drill
  
• Mixing paddle for the drill
• Two different sized containers for the mold
• Oil
• Sandpaper
  
• Craft glue
• Gemstones or crystals
• Gold leaf
• Tweezers
• A brush
• An X-acto knife

I wanted to make the mold first so that when the mix was ready I would directly pour it in.

To make the mold I used two different sized plastic containers.I recommend you to do the same thing because it's really easy to toss them out when you are done with the project.

I was using yoghurt buckets so I cut out the edges.This way it was a lot easier to work with them.

Like I said I had no experience working with plaster before so Ii had a little help for this step.I ended up using plaster instead of concrete because of the drying time.I left the mix in the mold for half a day only and it came out perfect.

To make the mix you will need a second pair of hands to help you out.This is a very messy process so I recommend you to cover your working area with something.

Take a bucket or container you are not afraid to get dirty.Pour some water in it.Using a drill start mixing the water while slowly adding in the plaster.There are no exact quantities - add the plaster in until you have a smooth paste like texture.After you achieve this texture you need to work quickly because the plaster starts to set after minutes - make sure your molds are ready to go.

To take the containers out easier when your project is complete use some oil to cover up the outside and bottom of the smaller bucket and the inside and bottom of the larger bucket.

Take the larger container and put a generous amount of plaster in it.The plaster needs to be enough to cover up the "walls" of the planter once you put the smaller container in.Take the smaller container and gently press it down so that the plaster fills up the space between the two containers.Next,put something heavy inside to keep the smaller container still - I used some pebbles.

Once you are done with this step use a wooden stick to get rid of any excess plaster mix from the edges.

Let the plaster dry completely before you take out your planter,ideally for 24 hours.I used plastic containers for this reason exactly - when it was time to take out the planter i simply cut them.

This is a planter so it needs a drainage hole to keep the roots of your plant healthy and to get rid of any excess water.To do that simply use a drill starting out with a smaller bit.Once you drill a small hole,switch to a larger bit and drill a larger hole.

Sand down the sides,bottom and top of your planter.I struggled with this step a bit since the edges of my planter were very uneven.To speed this step up I used my x-acto knife and carefully cut around the edges and then continued to sand.

To create the geode shape use an x-acto knife to carefully cut some of the plaster off.You want it to look as natural as possible,so take your time.Think of it like cutting a little wave - start from the left or right,then continue carving a little more in the middle.

Clean up the surface from any excess dust and get decorating!

For my planter I used my favorite gemstone - amethyst.I love amethyst mainly because it's purple.You can use whatever gemstones you like.

Start off by tracing where you want your geode to be.Continue by glueing each gemstone.To pick up each stone use a wooden skewer and dip it in a little glue.This way it's easier and you don't risk getting your fingers glued.I recommend you to put different sized gemstones to give the geode a more realistic look - glue the larger ones in the middle and the smaller ones around them.

To create the crystal effect on my beads I used some pliers to smash them and get some smaller shards.I then glued them wherever seemed empty.

No geode is complete without some shine so get your gold leaf ready.

Apply a small amount of glue around the amethyst crystals.Using some tweezers pick up the gold leaf and gently put it on top of the glue.Smooth everything out using a small brush.

Repeat this process until gold leaf is covering the amethyst crystals all around the edges.

Of course I couldn't leave my planter empty so I planted my succulent in it.This was a completely out of my comfort zone project but I love the way it turned out! I will definetly be making more of these for my other plants.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my Instructable.As always if you recreate this project feel free to share it here.

Happy crafting!