PVC Mosaic Planters
I needed some tall planters, so I went to Lowe's. News flash! Tall planters are very expensive!! But as I was walking through the plumbing aisle, I had an idea...
Best premixed tile adhesive!
I saw these 6" PVC pipes. There were 10' long and I knew I couldn't get them into my car but guess what? Lowe's will cut pipe for you so I had them cut one pipe in half.
Step 1: Once I got the 2-5' pieces home, I measured the height I wanted for four planters.
I made them 24", 28", 32" and 36".
Step 2:
A - I used painter's tape to mark the measurement around the pipe
B - Using a hand saw, I cut a slit in the pipe
C - I placed the jig saw blade into the slit
D - and cut the pipe apart
Step 3:
I sanded the entire pipe using a medium grit sandpaper.
Step 4:
The pipes were tall and I didn't want them to be blown over in a high wind.
A - I cut a piece of chicken wire approximately 6" wider than the pipe
B - I wrapped the chicken wire around the base of the pipe.
C - Using duct tape, I attached the chicken wire to the pipe.
(see Step 12 to explain why I did this)
Step 5: Because I wanted to mosaic the outside of the pipe, I gathered things that I had around the house; old tiles, glass gems, random plates.
I broke the plates and some of the tile using a hammer.
Step 6:
You will need Mastic which is an adhesive and a small notched trowel. The trowel I used is a 4" x 4" piece of plastic with different notches on three sides and one side is smooth.
Step 7:
Use your notched trowel to apply the mastic. You don't need a lot but enough so you don't see the pipe through it. Once you have the mastic on the pipe, use one of the notched edges to make ridges in the mastic.
You can begin at the top of the pipe or the bottom.
Step 8:
Work in small sections, applying the mastic then pressing your pieces of tile into the mastic.
This is the fun part because you make whatever designs you want.
Allow the mastic to dry 12 hours.
Step 9:
To keep your tiles in place, you will need mortar. You can purchase ready made mortar but it's expensive.
A - I used a dry mix.
B - Following the directions on the bag, I mixed the dry powder with water
and mixed until it was the consistency of firm potatoes using a rubber scraper that I purchased specifically for this project.
C- Once the mortar was ready, I applied it to the pipe using the same rubber scrapper.
D - I also applied plain mortar to the tops and rim of the terra-cotta planting pots that would go into the top of the pipe.
Step 10:
Once the entire pipe had mortar, I removed the excess mortar with a large sponge. This is a car washing sponge that I cut in half so it was easier to work with.
Allow the pipe to dry for 12 hours.
Step 11:
To seal the mosaic pipe, I used a mosaic sealer.
I poured it into a bowl and applied it with a sponge brush.
I allowed the sealer to dry 6 hours.
Step 12:
To ensure that the pipes don't blow over, I loaded them with large rocks (that's why we put the chicken wire over the bottom!).
Step 13:
I planted each terra-cotta pot with a plant and placed them in the top of each pipe. I did this project late in the season so the pickings were slim as to what plants I could choose from.
I had a space along the fence of our pool where nothing would grow and people could see in. These pots are perfect to fill that space.
Or they look great on my front porch. Won't the neighbor's be jealous???
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Great way to recycle old dishes and use up shells, Dollar Store round , glass gems, marbles, etc. I am going to use some old mixing bowls and add broken pieces of plates, jewelry and baubles. I will measure the radiuses and buy or use some of my plastic planters inside to put plants. I spray many of my outdoor pieces with Rustoleum 2X Ultracover (before the plant is in) to protect exterior surfaces. It works well. I also use this over metal painted decor. It lasts longer.
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Seems like a lot of work for a flowerpot stand. Planting a bush would have kept people from looking in and a few pots from the fence much easier. But if you're happy…
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Did you find the pipe on sale? Cause a 6" x 10' pvc pipe at our store is like $47.00
why did you use mortar instead of grout?
How did u keep the jigsaw from vibrating so you would be able to control the cuts?