Draped Hypertufa Planters

Revisit: The Draped Hypertufa Planter

Were you looking for the Draped Hypertufa How-To?  

I have seen searches for Cement Draped Planters, Rags Dipped in Cement, and so on….But I have called it a Draped Hypertufa Planter and I have some directions here on how to make them, And there are some videos to watch which will help you make your own!

I am revising a post from a few years ago since there have been so many questions, and I have made some videos to help. I have the videos on my YouTube channel called Kim’s Gardens or you can check from the YouTube page here right on my blog.

Photo of Pin for Draped Hypetufa Planter

How about a whole new look for a hypertufa planter?  Since I work in hypertufa, I use the recipe mix for my hypertufa to make this draped hypertufa planter but just in a different ratio. You can adjust the recipe to suit how you want yours to look. I like a rough texture simulating tree bark but you may have different ideas.

This recipe is heavier on the Portland cement, and incredibly messy to make, but I am already planning to make many more. I have seen some photos  on the internet, but nothing with complete directions on how to do it, so I have winged it!  And these are some of my creations!

Draped hypertufa planter with ferns

You can  use any fabric you have lying around. It can be an old towel, a blanket, leftover drapery material, an old padded quilt* 

( No, an old quilt is too heavy to handle and I learned the hard way.)

I have three YouTube videos with explanations of how to make these draped cement pots or planters. Here is the link from YouTube for the first one.

How to Make Draped Hypertufa Planters - Part 1

Recipe for the Draped Hypertufa Planter

My recipe that I have used for this project is  heavy on the cement.  And by that I mean that I use a lot more cement than I would in a regular hypertufa trough recipe.

I would use

  • 1 part Portland cement (I was using a 2 qt pitcher)
  • 1/4 part of peat ( about 1 pint)
  • a handful of vermiculite and mortar mix depending on how much you want it to be textured
  • water, about a 2 qt pitcher as above added slowly as you get it into a slurry or gravy

Cut the fabric into a circle, an oval, or even use it as a rectangle or square. Dampen it and hang it from your “tower.” This will be the support that you hang it on to dry. If you want the pointed edges, be sure your support is tall enough to allow them to drape/hang.

Your tower is your support for the project as it dries. I used a bar stool for my first one.  You can use a column of paint cans. or even a lamp shade.  (NO, the lamp shade didn’t work for me. It may work for you.)

It must be something sturdy to  allow your fabric  to “drape” and not let the ends of the wet fabric touch to floor. It will change the look of your project if the ends of the fabric touch the floor/table.  I have seen a few across the internet and Pinterest and the “puddling” effect can look nice.

Cover your tower in plastic! The piece is a little pliable when you attempt to get it off, but it was a struggle with that bar stool. You don’t want your piece to cement itself to the tower.

Your Cloth Will Be Heavy Soaked!

Check out how it hangs or “drapes” and pull it to one side or the other until you have  a vision of what you  like. The large one pictured at the top of the post  was made from an oval cut about 26″ by 39″. ( I had earlier made it bigger, but decided I just couldn’t handle fabric cut that big. It was a good decision, because that sucker is HEAVY after soaking it in cement gravy.

Once it is all mixed, and you have a consistency like meat gravy, not breakfast gravy ( I’m a country girl), put the whole piece of cloth into your mix and roll it around until it is all soaked with cement on both sides.

Wear gloves of course. I had to pick the mix up and smoosh it into the fabric on both sides, being sure to get it into folds. Did I lie when I said it was MESSY?

**Be sure to mix up enough slurry to get it all wet. Depending on the size of your fabric piece, you may need to double the recipe. If you have leftovers, have a few small  cloths ready to drape over a butter dish or bowl, or just pour it into those dishes to make feet for a trough.

When you are draping it over your tower, it is easy to pull and adjust until you get the look that pleases you.

(BTW, I made the biggest mess in the garage floor. Oh my! But when it dries, you can scrape it off and the  ShopVac takes care of it. Whew!)

Small draped hypertufa planter are great for succulents

I left my creation for 2 nights in a cold garage covered with a plastic garbage bag, then pulled it off the bar stool tower support with difficulty. It is slightly pliable at this point, but did harden after the next step.  I put it back into the garbage bag and left it for 24 hours.

**Important Note: Some sources on the internet speak of setting it to dry in the sun. My advice here is NOT to put it in the sun, but in a shady area and be SURE IT IS COVERED BY A PLASTIC BAG. This is what makes the cement cure!

After your project is fully cured and hard, you may drill a hole in it with your drill that you use to put a hole in the regular trough. Since it is very thin, it drills easily. No problem.

If you want to use it as a container in which to set a plastic pot of annuals or other flowers or plants, that is fine too.

These are the smaller draped cement pots and I have painted a few in different colors and I like them. If you like bright colors, then a quick stain or latex paint, even spray paint will give you any look you want.

How Durable Is It In Winter?

Questions: Will it be OK in winter or rain?  Since I have made these for the past five summers, I can report that almost every one of my pots have survived snow and ice storms  and mine have been in the rainiest springs and coldest winters ever! They are fine.  Be sure to check the videos out. You may need to PAINT A SECOND COAT OF THE MIXTURE onto a finished planter if it doesn’t seem hard enough.

Remember, I have had failures too when the planter just did not get hard for whatever reason. Not sure why, but some just “flopped”, both literally and figuratively…LOL

Let me know in the comments if you have made a draped cement pot. I appreciate any comments you make. And remember, be adventurous and try anything. I have seen some wonderful draped creations out there.  I don’t own any of the draped standing and seated full sized humans figures, but they are awesome!

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97 Comments

  1. Lori Richardi says:

    Hi. Been making them. i have a question about the smooth kinda slick looking parts. its like you can see where the plastic was. I “banged” some off but its tough to do. do you have any suggestions on how to make them more stone looking in those areas. thanks.

    1. When I have spots like that, I treat them as soon as they come out of the mold, when they are just slightly “soft.” Brushing with a wire brush or scoring with a metal tool usually gets me a surface I like. Once it has hardened completely, it would almost be impossible to change that surface. Try brushing when first out of the mold.

  2. Since we are on lockdown, we have more time for our garden. We try this hypertufa planter, it looks doable for us 🙂

    1. Looks like a beautiful place for a trip! Good luck on your planter.

  3. Faye Dalrymple says:

    Hi Kim, I haven’t made any more since 2015 but still have a bunch that have withstood the years of Canadian winters.The ones I forgot to tip got water and disintegrated and did find if I put a hole in the bottoms they are still around and getting compliments . I made a few out of an old blanket and these are the heaviest and nicest of the bunch but not sure I still have the strength I had 4 or 5 yrs ago. Thanks for the great project . Messy but not that bad

    1. I am so glad to hear yours lasted. Mine have too, except for a few problem ones. And I know what you mean about not having the strength I had a few years ago. It sure has curtailed my making pots as much as I used to. If I could turn back time…

  4. Anonymous says:

    can these be sealed inside so there is no leeching onto the plants after the rinse with the wash or instead of using the rinse

    1. I have not tried that but I suppose it is possible. But you would lose the porosity of the hypertufa and that is one of the features I love.

  5. I would really like to try making a few of these. I am just worried that it’s a lot of work if they will fall apart once the towel/rag starts to decompose ?? I’ve made things out of concrete before but always used steel mesh as reinforcement, so just worried this method wouldn’t be as strong since over time towels and anything made of cotton or organic material would start to weaken and rot/decompose…has anyone had this problem???

    1. I haven’t had the problem. I have the very first one I made 3 years ago still outside this year with a sweet potato vine and salvia planted in it. It is outside all year around ever since it was made. In my videos, some softened and flopped but that was right away. I haven’t had one that hardened in the beginning fail on me.

  6. This is a very interesting project. I would like to try it one day!

  7. OSCAR CORTEZ says:

    Hi, miss Kim Smith

    my question is, if is possible make a pond aquarium with this tecnic?, because i want put fishes and aquatic plants

    tnks for your fast answer

    best regards

    Mr. Oscar Cortez

    1. I have not made anything like that, but I have heard of people trying it. I think they seal the hypertufa much the same way you would seal a concrete basement. I am not sure how that would work. You could try a small box trough and seal it to see if it would hold water?

  8. Hi Kim after seeing your draped pots which I fell in love with, my husband and I tried them after abit of tweaking to said recipe with living in new zealand we got it right and have made quite few now, very additive

    1. I am so glad you tried it out, and they are so pretty. You have a great eye for design.

  9. My second attempt. Some of the draped hyperuffa came out beautiful, whilst others using the same mixture never hardened enough, Have repainted with slurry, and will see this weekend how they turn out. Another thing puzzling me is, they don’t seem to hold water, and just go all soft again once wet. Was thinking they are not suitable for planting but could be used as vases. HELP how can I make them waterproof.

    1. Kim Smith says:

      Hi Dolores, I am not sure what could be wrong since you say it is the same slurry and getting different results. Is it the same fabric? I am not sure. The only thing I can think is making a stronger solution by adding more Portland cement. Sorry I can’t help more than that.

      1. I would bet the fabric itself is still wet or the slurry itself was too wet and therefore allowing water to ooze out of the fabric. A thicker mixture and longer wait period is in order. I’ve made lot’s of these and I found you really need a thick mixture and long wait period if you live in a damp place like I do.

  10. jacquelineC. says:

    Bonjour,
    j’aime beaucoup ce que vous faites et vais tenter mon premier drapé Hypertufa cette semaine.
    Merci pour toutes vos bonnes explications.
    Cordialement.

    Jacqueline

  11. Kathy Ziegenmier says:

    Well my first attempt didn’t go nearly as smoothly as your slurry mix in the video:-) I used the above recipe and what was probably half of a small bath towel. It had a very nubby heavy texture to it which made it extremely heavy once soaked with the slurry. I also should have doubled the mix as it wasn’t nearly enough with just a single recipe. After determining it wasn’t enough I had to lift it out of the dry wall bin & put in a bucket so I could add more concrete, etc. That made for quite a mess. Some of the other issues I experienced is that the slurry seemed to keep separating? The slurry around the edges & in the corners would be more watery than the middle even though I had stirred it thoroughly. Also since I had quite a bit of the slurry left after soaking the towel I used a couple of wash cloths for smaller pots. I really had difficulty coating them & one just totally resisted the slurry at all. I just couldn’t get it coated at all. I know this is probably not making a lot of sense but the cloth seemed to just lay on top & wouldn’t soak in the mixture at all. I also had an awful lot of big chunks hanging on to my cloths. I will be surprised if these are going to be strong enough once cured as none of them really look like they got thoroughly coated. Not sure what I might have done wrong here? Frustrated in STL:-) Also any tips for cleaning the dry wall bin? My husband didn’t want to pour the dregs of the slurry outside in the yard so we put as much as we could in a plastic lined box & will let it harden so we can throw away. Then wiped out the pan with paper towels as much as possible before washing under the outside spigot. He’s already stated that it looks to be more trouble than it’s worth!!

    1. I am so sorry you had so much trouble. I am confused you didn’t have enough slurry for just half of a small towel? Next time it may be easier. I always used almost all of mine up, but when I rinsed the bin in the back yard, I just rinsed it well with a garden hose and then rinsed the grass some. I could never even see any remnants afterward and the grass was always lush there from the extra water. Maybe you’ll try again?

      1. Kathy Ziegenmier says:

        Well my first attempt didn’t go nearly as smoothly as your slurry mix in the video:-) I used the above recipe and what was probably half of a small bath towel. It had a very nubby heavy texture to it which made it extremely heavy once soaked with the slurry. I also should have doubled the mix as it wasn’t nearly enough with just a single recipe. After determining it wasn’t enough I had to lift it out of the dry wall bin & put in a bucket so I could add more concrete, etc. That made for quite a mess. Some of the other issues I experienced is that the slurry seemed to keep separating? The slurry around the edges & in the corners would be more watery than the middle even though I had stirred it thoroughly. Also since I had quite a bit of the slurry left after soaking the towel I used a couple of wash cloths for smaller pots. I really had difficulty coating them & one just totally resisted the slurry at all. I just couldn’t get it coated at all. I know this is probably not making a lot of sense but the cloth seemed to just lay on top & wouldn’t soak in the mixture at all. I also had an awful lot of big chunks hanging on to my cloths. I will be surprised if these are going to be strong enough once cured as none of them really look like they got thoroughly coated. Not sure what I might have done wrong here? Frustrated in STL:-) Also any tips for cleaning the dry wall bin? My husband didn’t want to pour the dregs of the slurry outside in the yard so we put as much as we could in a plastic lined box & will let it harden so we can throw away. Then wiped out the pan with paper towels as much as possible before washing under the outside spigot. He’s already stated that it looks to be more trouble than it’s worth!!

        Oh I will definitley try again but am just confused about what when wrong. The half towel was a small bath towel so we are probably still talking about maybe 18 x 24 rectangle. I didn’t measure it but had to use 3 gallon paint cans as my tower. Do you have any idea why the slurry would separate like that or have you ever had fabirc that just wouldn’t soak up the slurry? I thought my slurry was too wet so added a little more cement (this was after I doubled the ingredients) and then felt like it was too thick so added more water. That’s when I started noticing the separating issue even though I had stirred it really well.

        1. Not sure what could have gone wrong. I hope you are able to get it worked out. I have used the cotton table napkins and a fleece blanket, but towel fabric seems always to be the best. So I don’t know why yours hasn’t worked. Sorry.

          1. Kathy Ziegenmier says:

            Ever had the slurry separate like that? Water just seemed to run off.

            1. I don’t think that has ever happened to me. Did you mix all dry ingredients thoroughly before you added any moisture?

              1. Kathy Ziegenmier says:

                I’m not sure but will definitely do that on my next batch. I think I need to do some of the recoating of the three that I made. They are hardening but you can pretty much still tell that they are a towel & two wash cloths by looking at them.

                1. I hope these do get hardened off for you. You have put in a lot of effort.

      2. Sharlene Tubbs says:

        Have u tried using mortar mix instead of the Portland cement. Worth a try if it’s not Harding good. But one thing to remember always protect the area where u working, it’s a mess to clean up. But it makes beautiful planters. U have me wanting to make some but I’ll use the mortar mix first.

        1. I have used some mortar mix before and it does help to harden. If I am going after a smoother look, mortar mix is good. And yes, it is so much nicer to work outside where I can hose everything clean when I am ready to put it all away.

  12. Kathy Ziegenmier says:

    One more question, do you rinse/leach these out after they are dry & before staining or painting them?

    1. I think rinsing a few times takes care of them for leaching purposes. Since it is not an inch or two thick, I don’t think it holds its alkalinity. So a few rinses have done it for me.

      1. Kathy Ziegenmier says:

        Thank You Kim, I am excited to make my first one this morning.

  13. Kathy Ziegenmier says:

    I finally have all of my supplies together except for the cement stain that I mentioned in a previous post. Going to get that tomorrow as it’s a bit of a hike. Now that I’m ready to go, the temps are in the mid 90’s. It will be sweltering hot in the garage which is the only place I have to do this.

    1. Well, let us know how it’s turned out. Good luck. Do it early morning before it gets too hot.

  14. Kathy Ziegenmier says:

    I have tried a couple of different ways of sharing the photo of my $75 pot. I tried dragging from iPhotos & also copying & pasting into the comment section. I can’t seem to do either. I don’t think I want to post on FB as I am FB friends now with the lady that made it so don’t want any critique of her work or prices.

    Sorry if anyone else has a suggestion let me know.

  15. Kathy Ziegenmier says:

    If anyone wants to see the pots using the concrete stain that I mentioned, look for Pebbled Gardener on FB. I have to run to a Doc appointment but promise to post a pic of mine today, if I can figure out how to do it.

    1. Try posting it on the Facebook page.

  16. Kathy Ziegenmier says:

    The concrete stain that was used on the pot that I own is very natural looking. The lady who made it uses it on all of her projects. It’s Elements transparent concrete stain” by Butterfield. I found it on Amazon but was still pretty pricey. The “artist” found a local distributor in STL that is much cheaper. Apparently it does go a long way.

    1. That sounds like great stuff.

  17. Anonymous says:

    Hi my name is Kelly I have made 11 of your draped pots and love each of them. They turned out perfect. Taking them to a garage sale/Trade show on the 23 of May 2015. Will see how well they will sell. I left them all the cement color and think they look more rustic this way.

    1. Thanks for letting me know, Kelly. I hope you sell every one of them for big bucks.

    2. Kathy Ziegenmier says:

      How did you do Kelly? Would love to see some pics and get an idea of what you charged for them?

      1. I would too Kelly. Can you let us know?

  18. Well I just finished cleaning my mess up and hopefully took your directions right and they turn out as good as yours. I still have to place the plastic over and then will see if I did good or not. I have the feeling the old lace luncheon cloth may not work because of the holes but it was a through out piece anyway and worth a shot . I have wanted to do this from the first time I saw pictures of the draping pots and still have more material left so could turn into a fun hobby for gifts . Thanks bunches

    1. Oh, I think your choice of lace luncheon cloth will be great. I had thought about lace but didn’t have any to use. I think it should look elegant. So happy you tried it.

      1. Well Kim, the big one over the stool that was made with a lace cloth actually turned out quite well. As you say, it was a job to get it off the stool but I had sprayed it with cooking oil , then put a great big garbage bag over the bench and sprayed it too before I put this smushy cloth over it. .I let them sit about a n hour before I covewred the whole things with another bag. I was curious to see how they were and never left them the 24 hour( which turned out to be a good thing and they never stuck too badly either ) I would send a picture but not sure how to on your site .It was totally a thing I will do again and someone said old towels make for a nice pot too. Now to the cupboard to sift through the old towels or sheets . Thank you for the great informative site and you are so right about the vermiculite making for a nice texture and just love the bumpy look

        1. Faye, So glad it turned out for you. Did it keep the lacy look too? If you are able to, perhaps you can load it on the Facebook page? I would love to see it.

  19. Do you ever use colored cement? I would like to not paint them, that way the plants would air prune themselves (although I know they will use more water)

    1. Hi Leny, I have used the cement colorants, but I think you have to use a lot to get deep color. And what I can buy locally is limited. Love a dark charcoal. Buff is a pretty brown/orange. I like those two. But again, it takes a lot to get color.

  20. Made some small ones..but have doubt…how to cure them…sprinckle water or just plain dry them

    1. Hi Geeta, Just cover them with plastic and let them dry in the shade. Hot sun won’t cure them as well. Thanks for reading and commenting.

  21. June Comstock says:

    can hardly wait to get started. Saw some at a church sale in Fl. .this past winter. They were about the size of a half bushel basket .and were selling for about $35.00.painted white on the bottom and bright colors around the tops. Very striking.

    1. Hi June, I am glad to hear that they are selling somewhere. I hope you all enjoy making them. It is fun and gives you a unique planter.

  22. Wonderful pots? Made my first batch I will need to recoat not quite strong enough, not bad for first time. How long do u wait to paint/ stain? THANK YOU!

    1. I was able to paint them within a day or so after drying. They are thinner so I haven’t seen a problem with that method.

  23. Wonderful! Made my first posts and not quite strong enough will have to recoat. How long do u wait to stain/paint them? THANK YOU!

    1. I was able to paint them within a day or so after drying. They are thinner so I haven’t seen a problem with that method.

  24. Hi Kim,
    This is Lois from Australia. Love your work. I made two drapes on the weekend but do wonder whether they are going to be strong enough. When I touch the bottom (they are still hanging upside down on paint tins) I can push the drapes in, that is they are not solid. Will this be a problem, if I put a plant in a saucer in them will it soften altogether. I was wondering should I put another coat on them, and if so what do I use. Thanks so much for your help.

    1. Hi Lois, Glad you are making some pots. I think you should paint with the 2nd or even 3rd coat of slurry mixed with extra cement. I painted it on with a ruined paint brush, or I can also dribble it on , pouring over the pot and letting it dribble down the sides. Thoroughly dry, and test the firmness of the pot. Hope this helps. (Repeat if needed.)

      1. How long should we wait until applying the 2nd and 3rd coats? Thanks for the great details in your instructions.
        ~Dan

        1. Hi Dan, I would wait until it is fully dry, test it by feel and perhaps manipulating it a bit. If you feel it needs more, just go ahead and repeat the coating again. I think fully drying between coats would be the only thing you need to worry about. Mine dry in a 24 hour period typically.

      2. Kathy Ziegenmier says:

        Is the recoat just with cement & water or the full “recipe”?

        1. For any recoat, I would just use cement and water mixture. No need for more texture unless you just want to add more.

    2. Anonymous says:

      Morning thanks for the tutorial wonderful! Made my first pots but going to have to reacoat not quite strong enough, could you tell me how long before a person can stain/paint them? Thank you so much!!
      Cindy

      1. I was able to paint them within a day or so after drying. They are thinner so I haven’t seen a problem with that method.

  25. Mary Bumgarner says:

    Love the Draped Hypertufa Planters

    1. Thank you so much. I can’t wait until it gets warmer here and I can do more! I will be sure to make more videos and pictures.

  26. ALVIN DAVIS says:

    Would like to be added to your mailing list.

    1. Thank you Alvin. There is a box to check just under your comment. Check the one that says you want to get the posts by email. I will be adding another means of subscribing also when I decide which one.

  27. Hi Kim,

    I’m a Master Gardener in St. Johns County, Florida. I’ve started doing hypertufa demos and short courses through our University of Florida Extension Center and I’ve made a few draped “towel pots” from a recipe given to me by our horticultural assistant. I watched your videos on draped pots before I tackled this project, and boy am I glad I did! They say one pic is worth a thousand words – one video is worth a million words!

    I made a few using old towels and am donating them to the Extension Center. See the towel pots photos at my Hypertufa Pots page:

    Other Master Gardeners will put plants in them and sell them at our October Home and Garden Show. They asked me how much they should charge for the pot and plants.

    Yikes!!! I don’t sell my stuff. I haven’t got a clue what a reasonable price would be for an empty towel pot. (i’m gonna let THEM figure out the cost for the planting).

    WOULD YOU AND/OR ANY OF YOUR ASSOCIATES WEIGH IN ON WHAT YOU’D CHARGE FOR ONE OF THESE POTS (UNPLANTED)? Since you are a Master Gardener too, I thought you’d have a good frame of reference for the customers we get during an event.

    Thanks in advance!

    1. Thanks, Dianne, glad you a reading! and I am so glad the videos helped. I am a true amateur videographer, but it gets the point across, I think. Your pots are awesome! I LOVE the texture and the color. I don’t really sell my pots either, except a few at a local gift shop to a friend. She said they were popular and sold, both as a potted up version, and also as an insertable vase. I have seen empty ones with very thick walls (made of concrete) and those were $220 each Yikes! About the size of a small bushel basket. I really can’t say what to charge, but put it at rate you can negotiate, if that is what you can do. If too low, a gift shop owner may come in and buy the whole lot to sell at a shop for beaucoup bucks! We also sell at fundraisers in spring and fall and most people want cheap! Sorry I can’t be of more help.

  28. Just finished my first attempt of the draped hypertufa this morning. Anxious to see the final result and am cautiously optimistic.
    How long do you recommend letting them cure ? Thanks

    1. I would leave it covered with a plastic bag for at least 24 hours, then touch it to see if it is hard. If not, it can be coated again. I would remove from support and bag again for a day or two, then you should be good to go. Thanks for trying and for your comment.

  29. denise muro says:

    hi kim, i like playing around with hypertufa. i will try the drape. did katy z ever send you a picture of the draped pot she bought at vintage show. would like to see for idea on size and drape folds.
    denise, greenfield, ma

    1. Denise, thanks for your comment. I have not had a picture yet from katy z, but I am curious too. Especially with that price she gave us. Must have been an awesome pot!

      1. Kathy Ziegenmier says:

        I just saw this from last August and I will be happy to take a pic and post it tomorrow. I have used mine both summers with a Cana & Creeping Jenny planted in it. It’s sitting next to our water feature. I ordered a large bowl from the same lady and that is commanding a price of $110. I hope that will be my last Hypertufa purchase & plan to make my own from now on!!

        1. Wow. That’s great price she is getting. A garden shop around here used to sell large bowls for about $300. But not anymore. They said they are too hard to get and ship. I can understand that. It seems the best way to sell is on site like at a flea market or craft weekend. You would have to be able to take it with you. Shipping would be too expensive. JMO

  30. Kathy Ziegenmier says:

    You mentioned a vermiculite and mortar mix but I didn’t see a recipe for that? I just bought a draped pot at a vintage garden show ($75) and I want to learn how to make them myself. Also do you have any tutorials/videos on the cement dyes or staining? Thanks for your help.

    1. Kim Smith says:

      Thanks for your comment, Kathy. The vermiculite that I use is the same type of soil amendment as perlite. They are usually side by side in the garden centers. I just use vermiculite because it is brown and the perlite is white. I prefer the brown color. The mortar mix I use is in the cement department, and I used it as a “throw it in the mix” strengthener/hardener when I did a second coat a few times. Glad to hear these are selling. Wow! $75. Guess it’s a money maker in your area.

      1. Anonymous says:

        So the mortar mix isn’t always necessary? Approximately how much do you use? Also do you have info on your blog about using dyes/color? I would be happy to post a pic of my pricey draped pot.

        1. Kim Smith says:

          I used mortar mix by just a handful or so when I felt I needed it, such as when the slurry seemed a little too watery. I tried a latex paint in my mixing water once, but had no luck with that. I have painted my finished pots with spray paint, deck stain, etc anything I have around that I want to try the color. Sure, I would like a picture of the pricey pot. Make them and sell them for that price!

          1. Kathy Ziegenmier says:

            So how did you get the blue tint on the draped pot that was pictured? Have you ever tried concrete dye or stain?

            1. Kim Smith says:

              It just appears that way , I guess, because it is a grayish blue? It may just be the lighting, but I don’t recall using any color of paint in that mixture.

          2. Kathy Ziegenmier says:

            Is their an advantage of adding the mortar mix vs a handful of the Portland cement to thicken it some?

            1. As long as it gives you the strength you want, I don’t see any problem.

    2. denise muro says:

      dear katy, can you send me a picture of the $75 draped vintage pot. i live in greenfield, ma and have several hypertufa pots that i have made for my garden and would like to see how they folded your pot. my email is [email protected]. thank you

      1. Katy, I hope you see this. Denise and I would love to see it.

      2. Kathy Ziegenmier says:

        Not sure if the Katy comments are for me? My name is Kathy & I promise to post a pic of the $75 pot from last year. Does anyone know how to do that? Can I just copy and paste into the comments section?

        1. You can try, I am not sure if it is possible. Or you can put it on the Facebook page.

        2. Kathy, I can’t get around on these sights very well, but I would love to see a photo of the $75 pot. If you don’t mind could you email it to me at [email protected]. Could you put hypertufa pot in the subject line so I know it’s not spam? Thx so much.

  31. Carol Collett says:

    Kim, these are beautiful.

    1. Kim Smith says:

      Thank you , Carol. So glad you are still reading my posts. I am loving doing this. And I am having fun writing.

  32. Love how the plants look in your planters. Ice plants grow pretty well in our area despite the heat if under trees and in shaded areas. Feel free to stop by and share your diy at my party if you like.

    1. Kim Smith says:

      Thank you. And thanks for the invitation too!

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