If you want to get crafty in the garden, for the garden, or just as a way to keep your thumb green during the winter months, we have the project for you! Hypertufa is a mix of concrete and other elements that is lightweight, easy to work with, can be molded or even carved, and is a perfect project for both beginner and experienced crafters and gardeners. You can create pots, containers, art… ok, we will just let these cool tutorials speak for themselves, ok? BTW… you can even do this on a covered kitchen table with the kids! All you need is a place to let them cure, and you get amazing results for just a little creative effort. Oh, yeah. It’s fun! Our feature photo above is from ‘Martha’. She shows us how to make these bowl hypertufas using a kitchen mixing bowl as a mold! (Can you say dollar store?) These would look great inside or out, and she has a bunch of other variations as well, including a basketweave patterned hypertufa. Check it out!

The basic recipe (Although there are TONS of variations!) From ‘Lowes‘.

1 Part Portland Cement

1 Part Perlite

1 Part Peat Moss

1 Part Water (Can be adjusted to consistency needed for each project)

Mix dry ingredients with gloved hands before adding water. Mix well. Thick oatmeal is a good place to start, thickness wise.

Spray inside of mold with non stick cooking spray.

Pack mixture into mold in whatever way you wish to create sides of containers, art… whatever!

Put inside closed plastic bag for 24-36 hours. This keeps it from drying too quickly, which can cause cracking. Now set in some out of the way place for 2-3 weeks to totally cure. Pop off mold, use a brush or sponge to rub off any imperfections. Done!

Ok, you can see I was pretty casual with the basic directions here. That’s ’cause it’s a very forgiving medium, so have some fun with it! Most of these tutorials have their own take on the directions as well.

 

From Pam at ‘House of Hawthornes’, everything about making hypertufa containers. Make sure you take note at what she used for molds… Ok, just trust me, it works!

 

‘This Old House’ shows us it isn’t just for making containers! Make this hypertufa table! Use their plans for the whole table, or just make the top and use it with an existing base.

 

Learn to make a hypertufa planter from ‘Gardeners Supply’. As you can see, they used theirs for a container water garden!

 

We LOVE this hypertufa tough from ‘Dirty Horticulture’… it has such an organic feel, like it’s been there 100 years! Lots of great tips on making molds as well.

 

Hypertufa garden seat by ‘Flat Earth Designs’ via ‘My Notting Hill‘ in Texas. Are we starting to see the versatility in this medium?

 

Make a hypertufa millstone for over a fountain, with help from ‘Houzz GardenWeb’!

 

This wicker basket hypertufa is also from ‘Martha’ An easy variation, I love these for a country or traditional porch!

 

Lastly, these hypertufa containers use recycled items as molds… I really like the texture the veggie oil container made! From ‘Home Life Science’.