Home-Dzine Online - October 2013

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Home-Dzine IDEAS AND INSPIRATION FOR YOUR HOME

October 2013

Craft • DIY • Food • Green • Home Decor & Design

affordable ideas

a word or two

DIY is definitely on the increase as more and more South African realise the benefits of doing-it-yourself. Attendance at our DIY Workshops around the country is growing and I constantly receive enquiries for advice on home repairs and maintenance, and requests for specific projects.

This month I focus quite a bit on garden projects, but you will still find plenty to do in and around the home. And don’t forget to visit the Home-Dzine website, where you will find even more to inspire your next project!

Janice Home-Dzine Online is written and compiled by Janice Anderssen. All projects in this issue remain the property of Home-Dzine and Janice Anderssen, or the respective copyright holders, and may not be copied or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission.

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ADD COLOUR Transform a drab room with colour TREE STUMP TABLE PAINTED CURTAINS CUSTOM CURTAIN RODS NAILHEAD TRIM FOR DOORS

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UPDATE FURNITURE WITH NAILHEAD TRIM UPHOLSTERED HEADBOARD WITH NAILHEAD TRIM

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BUILD AN OUTDOOR BAR WITH RECLAIMED TIMBER

GIVE YOUR OFFICE CHAIRS A FACE LIFT UPDATE A HOME WITH PAINTED FACEBRICK

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SOLAR POWER DEHYDRATOR GARDEN FEATURE CONCRETE LEAVES RUSTIC GARDEN DECOR

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HYPERTUFA POTS FOR GARDEN

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A revolutionary product to fix any chip in just a few minutes - Simple to use with step by step instructions - Everything you need to fix any chip

Available at selected Jack’s Paint & Hardware Stores or order online now 4

home ideas... colourful options

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Click here to make your own upholstered headboard

Don’t live in a bland home when there are so many colourful options to choose from. Gran some inspiration from Plascon’s 2014 colour palette.

This colourful bedroom transformation by Emily Henderson, shows how colour instantly revives and refreshes a dull room.

Before painting the room everything was removed and sorted. The room itself was quite cluttered and getting rid of the clutter helped to create a more spacious environment.

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http://stylebyemilyhenderson.com

With its newly painted aqua walls and crisp white trim, this previously dated bedroom is now modern and inviting.

Find a storage space for unnecessary clutter

With everything out of the room you will find it much easier to put down a dropcloth and bring in a stepladder.

Start at the highest point, painting the ceiling if necessary and then work your way down from the walls to skirtings. That way you ensure less splashes on newly painted surfaces.

Choose the perfect paint finish by selecting one of the Plascon range of paint products. Plascon Double Velvet offers a luxurious satin finish that is hardwearing and easy to clean and perfect for walls in any room in a home.

For trim, Plascon Velvaglo offers a satin sheen, while Plascon Enamel Doors & Trim has a gloss finish.

Update window treatments.

Click here for ideas.

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ELEGANT STAINLESS STEEL LOOK MAKING HEADLINES SuperSteel kitchen faucets from GROHE These days chrome finishes are facing some serious competition in the kitchen, as matt stainless steel shades turn out to be the latest trend. Their velvety elegance is gradually replacing the familiar mirror-like shine of conventional chrome. The pristine appearance of SuperSteel finished kitchen faucets from GROHE makes them the new favourites on the kitchen sink. Their matt finishes complement all stainless steel sinks, giving modern kitchens a well-coordinated appearance.

Desirable finish The stainless steel finish lends a sensual, emotional touch to GROHE kitchen faucets in SuperSteel. But SuperSteel excels not only in terms of its appearance; its surface hardness is three times higher than that of chrome and the coating ten times more scratch-resistant. Needless to say, SuperSteel is also very forgiving as far as unsightly fingerprints and water splashes are concerned.

The secret behind it, is the innovative GROHE PVD surface technology. The faucets first receive a matt chrome finish before they are brushed and given their SuperSteel finish using a high-tech PVD (physical vapour deposition) process. As a result, these faucets are more resistant than conventional chrome surfaces. Impervious to corrosion and easy to clean, they are a treat to the eyes for years to come – even with heavy use.

Extensive choice of SuperSteel products As befits an industry leader, GROHE offers SuperSteel kitchen faucets across all price segments and in a variety of styles.

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http://www.theartofdoingstuff.com

inspiring design... tree stump table

A tree stump becomes a contemporary side table with the addition of brushed chrome legs.

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YOU WILL NEED: Tree stump Hammer Crowbar Sandpaper (medium and fine grit) Polyurethane Varnish brush Legs* Drill and appropriate bits *Depending on the size of your legs, figure out how high your stump needs to be for where you want to put it.

1. Allow your stump to dry out for at least a month. The bark will loosen, making step 2 easier! You can dry the stump outside for a couple of months, then bring it inside for a couple of weeks. If your stump was already cut and dried from wherever you got it, you can just bring it inside for a couple of weeks.

2. Now the work begins. You have to remove the bark. Sometimes this is easy, sometimes it isn’t. Insert the crowbar between the bark and the stump.

Hammer it enough to loosen the wood.

Then either keep hammering or pull the bark loose with your fingers. Keep doing this all the way around the stump until all the bark is off.

GOOD TO KNOW

If the bark is particularly stubborn, do the same thing using a wood chisel. It’s sharper and will cut through the fibres between the bark and the stump better than a crowbar.

Be careful not to hack into the wood with the chisel though.

Now your stump is cleaned of its bark. When it’s dried out the stump might split a bit.

That’s O.K. It adds character.

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3. The stump now needs to be sanded smooth. Start with 120-grit sandpaper and finish with 240-grit sandpaper. Once your stump is smooth wipe with a damp, lintfree cloth.

Now flip your stump over and get ready for the fun part.

4. Place your legs on the underside of your stump. You can use all 4 legs or just 3. I’m partial to 3, but 4 is definitely more stable.

Use a tape measure to make sure they’re an equal distance apart.

Once you have the legs positioned, mark the holes in the plates with a pencil.

Remove the legs and drill a 3mm pilot hole on the marks.

5. Once all your holes are predrilled, place your legs and brackets back on and screw them into place.

Finishing

If there are any sections where you accidentally took too much of the wood off you can skim over it with some stain. Just wipe it onto the light portion of your wood with a rag. It just darkens it up enough to make it blend in a little better. There will still be a colour variation, just not quite as distinct.

To seal the stump apply your choice of Plascon Woodcare product, depending on how you want to finish to look - gloss or satin.

Use a natural bristle paintbrush and apply according to the instructions on the can.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE GOOD TO KNOW RECYCLE Always let your finish dry the PROJECTS recommended amount of time in between coats.

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image: http://www.customfurnitureworld.com

affordable design... painted curtains

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Looking for a way to transform your home without spending too much?

Lisa used paint and canvas dropcloths to give her dining room a makeover.

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http://www.shineyourlightblog.com

Pop into your local Builders Warehouse and grab a large canvas dropcloth and some matt acrylic paint, such as Plascon Polvin.

Update window treatments.

Click here for ideas.

GOOD TO KNOW

2. You’ll need something to put the cut fabric onto as you paint - cut up rubbish bags or brown paper will do.

Lisa used paper as a stencil, but this will quickly fall apart as you move it around. If you can’t find large sheets of acetate (used for stencils), grab a roll of vinyl wallpaper at Builders Warehouse and cut your stencil on the top (coated side) of the paper.

3. Choose a design for your fabric. You will find plenty of ideas on the Internet that you can use. Print this out and transfer onto your stencil to cut out with a craft knife.

You can cut a stencil as large as the curtain - if you have a place to cut one that large, or cut sections.

1. Cut the dropcloths to size - allowing for a hem on the sides and bottom, and for hanging at the top. You can sew a hem around the cut edge once you have finished painting.

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4. Use masking tape to stick the stencil onto the fabric as you work.

5. Apply the paint over the stencil and onto the fabric with a foam roller.

GOOD TO KNOW Don’t apply too much paint in one go. You will find that the paint is fairly thick, so have a sheet of newspaper handy to roll off excess paint before applying to the fabric.

6. Move the stencil around as you work from one side to the other - or top to bottom.

7. As soon as you have finished one panel, lift it up and hang it somewhere to dry.

The paint dries quickly and you can use a hairdryer on warm setting if you want to speed up the process.

8. It’s important to iron the back of the fabric after painting and once the paint has dried. This will seal the paint into the fibres.

9. Wash in cold water and then iron again - on the back of the fabric.

Bear in mind that canvas is 100% cotton, so a certain amount of shrinkage will occur, which is why you leave the sewing until after you have ironed and washed the curtains.

10. After washing and ironing you can hem and sew the curtains to size. Attach a lining fabric to the back of the panels to finish them off neatly.

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http://www.shineyourlightblog.com

easy diy... custom curtain rod

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Update window treatments.

Click here for ideas.

CUSTOM WINDOW ROD WITH VINTAGE FINISH Hard to believe that this custom window treatment is made from PVC pipe and a ping-pong ball. Once painted with Rust-Oleum Universal spray paint in pure gold and dabbed with black acrylic paint, you would never know the dierence!

Find pipe in the plumbing section at your local Builders Warehouse.

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You can make an attractive window treatment for your new curtains with a length of PVC pipe, a couple of ping-pong balls and some curtain rings with clips.

1. Use a drill bit or spade bit to drill a hole in the ping-pong balls to fit over the end of the PVC pipe. The holes must be exact so that the balls fit snug on the end of the pipe.

2. Spray the balls with Rust-Oleum Universal antique copper or pure gold. Only spray on light coats of paint to prevent runs.

3. Water down some black acrylic craft paint and use a seasponge or rag to gently dab paint onto the ping-pong balls to create a vintage finish.

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inspiring design... nailhead trim

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Nailhead trim is sweeping the world as an easy and affordable way to dress up a home.

Nailhead trim, also known here are upholstery pins or strips, offers you an easy way to dress up furniture, especially upholstered pieces, and now makes an even more interesting appearance as a way to add interest to interior doors.

Nailhead strips and upholstery pins

Nailhead strips are available in a variety of finishes from gold and silver to vintage brass. You can buy the upholstery pins separately, or use them with a metre long strip. You will find nailhead strips or upholstery pins at most fabric stores or at your local Gelmar.

All you need to fit nailhead pins or strips to any surface is a hammer, and a pair of pliers for when you make a boo-boo.

The pliers are also handy for holding the stem of the pin while you gently hammer in place.

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Click here for more ideas for nailhead strips

ABOVE: Transform any door with nailhead strips. Painted in three shades of blue, the outline of the painted triangle are trimmed with nailhead strips to give the appearance of depth.

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http://www.houzz.com

LEFT: Paint a door with Plascon Velvaglo G5-C1-2 green maiden and then add nailhead trim to create faux panels on the door.

If you want to add even more elegance to plain doors, wrap them with pleather (vinyl fabric) to create an upholstered effect once the upholstery strips are added.

Use spray adhesive to fasten the pleather to doors.

What’s nice about this is you can keep doors clean with a quick wipe.

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BELOW: Plascon Velvaglo in B1-A1-4 what an inspiration, combined with white trim and silver nailhead strips adds ‘wow’ factor to this passage.

update furniture A retro cabinet undergoes a transformation with some TLC and the addition of silver upholstery pins.

Click here for more ideas for nailhead strips

You can use upholstery pins and strips to transform any piece of furniture, and it’s quick and easy to do. Find yourself a nice design that you would like to work with, and after prepping the furniture, transfer the design onto your piece as a guide for placing the pins.

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Use nailhead strips to outline a beautifully contoured occasional chair, apply to the plinth of a sofa, or create an eye-catching geometric pattern on boring furniture.

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1. Start by sanding down your piece with 180-grit sandpaper to de-gloss the ďŹ nish for painting. Wipe clean to remove all traces of dust.

2. After painting in your choice of colour, use a pencil to transfer a design onto the area where you want your nailhead decoration to be placed.

3. Following your drawn lines, hammer the pins in place. Try to keep the gap between the pins even along the length.

4. Continue adding upholstery pins until you are satisďŹ ed with the layout and design.

http://http://theitgirlproject.com

diy... upholstered headboard

UPHOLSTERED HEADBOARD WITH NAILHEAD TRIM Make your own designer headboard using a piece of shutterply or BisonBord and the wrap with batting and fabric. Adding nailhead trim provides a custom designer look at a fraction of what it would cost to buy a headboard, and you can use upholstery pins to create your own unique design.

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1. Use a jigsaw to cut the corners of your plywood or bisonboard into a gentle curve. Cover the board with batting, adding a few staples around the edge to hold in place.

2. Wrap with fabric, stapling the fabric to the back of the board. Make sure your corners are nice and neat, folding over as you would to wrap a gift.

3. Using the piece of board that you removed as a guide, have a pencil or fabric pen handy to draw a guide line for placing the upholstery strip and pins on the front.

4. Make sure your hammer is clean before placing the upholstery strip along the drawn line and gently hammering in the holding pins along the length of the strip.

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http://stylebyemilyhenderson.com

Here’s a great idea for adding colour and texture to your home office or office space. Revamp your office chairs with colourful fabric.

Next time you go to your local fabric store, look out for fabrics that contain Spandex - or that are stretchable. These fabrics are easy to work with for small projects that recovering an office chair, and they comes in great colours and patterns.

Attach fabric to the underside of your chair with a staple gun and 10mm staples, making sure to attach to the frame of the chair.

For the colourful or contrasting side panels, use sprayable adhesive to stick panels onto the chair.

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MORE ON OFFICE CHAIR MAKEOVER

http://www.thenester.com/

decorating... painting facebrick

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FACEBRICK IDEAS

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As pizazz to interior brick walls and brighten up your home. Paint is an easy way to put new life into a dingy brick wall and it’s an easy project that requires only a few basic materials.

YOU WILL NEED: Plascon primer Plascon interior paint Paintbrushes Dropcloths Nylon scrubbing brush Polycell interior crack filler Paint scraper 120-grit sandpaper Bucket

HERE’S HOW: 1. Give walls a good brushing with a nylon scrubbing brush and follow this up by cleaning with a vacuum cleaner to clean out between any gaps.

2. Fill any cracks or holes with Polycell interior crack filler and allow to dry before painting.

3. Primer with Plascon Multi-Surface Primer, or Plascon Bonding Liquid where brick is chalky, as it helps to bond the paint and reduce the amount of paint required.

4. Use Plascon Wall & All or Plascon Double Velvet for painting facebrick.

Both offer high coverage and excellent washability.

5. Apply paint with a paintbrush to get into the crags and crannies of rough brickwork and mortar joins. Have various sized brushes for different tasks.

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CLICK HERE FOR MORE TIPS ON PAINTING BRICK

http://www.survivefrance.com

diy project... outdoor bar OUTDOOR BAR FROM RECLAIMED PALLETS AND PAR PINE I have a number of quite decent pallets that have been stored outside since 2008, they are sturdy - the ones used to deliver concrete blocks rather than the lightweight type.

They’ve taken on a nice patina of age and I used a few of them to make an outdoor bar.

The older the pallets the better, as they will have had plenty of time to air.

If you are using pallets for indoor use, it’s always better to make sure they have ‘gassed-off’ any chemicals used to treat the timber.

If you can, collect pallets and store them away in a dry place for a couple of months before using them, especially for indoor projects.

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HERE’S HOW: 1. The first step in any pallet project is disassembly. You need to take the pallets apart and remove any old nails.

After three hours I have all seven of my pallets disassembled and as nail free as possible.

2. Most pallets you find are only around a metre long. In this case I needed longer sections, so I cut, glued and screwed some of the stringers together.

The stringers are the joist part of the pallets; not all pallets have them. Some just have the boards and useless chipboard blocks, so keep an eye out for the stringer type, they are much more versatile.

GOOD TO KNOW

I cut the joints at an angle, so they will be much stronger than trying to butt them together.

In this case I used two screws in either side and plenty of wood glue.

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3. The next step is to make a frame for the floor section, again using plenty of glue and 3 x 100mm screws in each corner to make a sturdy base. There is no need to mitre the corners, just screw straight through.

The floor frame will hold the boards so I have installed joists at 600mm intervals.

4. I used a nail gun and glue to attach the boards to the frame for speed, but if you don’t have a nail gun - screws would be even better.

BELOW: The finished base, notice each board has a 10mm gap, this has saved me a few boards and will allow it to breath nicely.

5. As I want to be able to transport the structure easily to it’s final position, I will be making each section separately; all four walls, the floor and the roof can be easily carried and assembled by two people.

Using my table saw, I cut rebates into some of the stringers to use as a frame for the walls. This piece will be the lower front of the bar.

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6. I used natural fencing material to fill the frame with a nail gun to attach it to the frame after cutting it to size.

7. The frame is then attached to the uprights. I’ve repeated the process on the back wall but I’ve used the pallet planks instead. Across the top I’ve attached a temporary support to keep it upright and most importantly, square.

BELOW: This is the right end wall. It is nailed to two uprights and slots into position between the front and back walls. A couple of screws are all that’s required to hold it upright at this stage.

Luckily I have enough room in my workshop, it’s much faster working near all the tools and I want to keep it dry. I have actually stored the pallets inside for a month to reduce their humidity level so they won’t shrink when the bar eventually goes out in the sun. In any case, the weather would make it impossible to work outside at the moment!

LEFT: I used a piece of Plexiglass; this will act as a window on the back wall.

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8. Using clamps to hold the left hand wall in place, I can get started on the door end.

ABOVE: Rather than pace it directly on to the ground, I am going to put it on blocks; this will ensure that it’s level and also prevent it from drawing up water from the soil and thus, eventually rotting.

All perfectly level with two blocks in the centre to support the joists.

Before the base goes down, I’ve cut a piece of geo-textile to stop grass and weeds growing up through the gaps in the boards.

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Now is the time to call for some help to lift the sections into place. Using lightweight natural materials makes it easier to transport. Insert five large bolts screws in to each of the corners. The front section is hinged and held in place with a catch when open.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE RECYCLE PROJECTS

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The roof is made in a similar manner to the floor and I stretched some thick rubber over the frame. I placed a post at each corner to support the roof. The posts are fixed to the ground and screwed to the roof frame, which is also screwed to the front and back walls with 100mm screws.

http://www.instructables.com

diy project... solar-powered dehydrator

If you love biltong and dry wors, there’s plenty of space in this solar dehydrator for these and other high moisture content foods.

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Here is a solar dehydrator that uses a solar heat collector and DC powered fans to push hot air through the dehydration chamber.

I built it without plans and based the size of the solar collector on how the beer cans would fit in when stacked up.

1. Sizing the Solar Collector

Gather some aluminium cans of your choice, measure the boards based on the sizing of the cans and the number of rows you’d like.

My frame was 117cm x 69cm.

I used a variety of different can sizes. I also used treated pine, since this will be sitting outside all of the time. I used 50 x 100mm PAR pine for the entire construction.

Alternatively, apply an exterior sealer to all the timber before you begin construction.

You will find all the materials you need for this project, excluding the aluminium can of course, at your local Builders Warehouse.

2. Build the Frame

Based on the size of your collector, build the dehydration chamber frame so that the collector can lean up against it and be mounted on the inside of the frame.

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3. Roof Support / Solar Collector Mounting Cut two diagonal beams for the roof mount and make a cut in the PAR pine on the solar collector to allow it to notch into place - as shown on next page.

4. Solar Collector Bottom / Air Vents

Next you’ll need to make a bottom for the solar collector frame. I used cement fibre board.

You also need to cut out for air vents. You want air to move freely so don’t put vents where there are going to be cans in the way.

GOOD TO KNOW

The fans are optional and improve the air flow. They can run off of a small 10-15W solar panel, or you can plug them in.

ABOVE: If you use fans, you need to cut holes based on the shape of fan you use.

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5. Trays / Side Support Crossbeams

Add your tray guides and side support beams. These trays can use whatever you heart desires: screen, mesh, grating, wood slats... Get creative.

6. Filling the Solar Collector

I took a piece of corrugated rooďŹ ng, cut it to size and painted it black and put it in the solar collector. Then I painted all the cans black and began stacking them. Be sure you do not block air holes.

7. Electric Fan Installation Install the fans.

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8. Complete the Solar Collector and Attach the Roof

Place a piece of Plexiglas or 4mm glass over the chamber.

9. Attach the roof

I used an extra piece of metal roofing we had lying around. I didn’t put a smoke stack on the roof.

The roof gap allows good air flow. Be sure when you finish to use screen on the gaps between the roof and the wood for bug protection.

Finishing

Here is the finished solar dehydrator. I used cement fibre sheeting for cladding the outside of the solar dehydrator. The sheets were cut to size and then screwed onto the timber frame.

It’s larger than most because I wanted the option to dry massive amount of herbs and teas all at once, as well as batches of biltong and dry wors.

Find all the materials required for this project at your local Builders Warehouse.

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http://www.fleamarketgardening.org

fabulous trash Take a couple of pieces of junk and transform them into new and beautiful little garden scene using just a little imagination! Here’s how I planted my garden chair.

On a visit to my shed, I saw a couple pieces of decrepit junk I could use to create a little scene in my garden. One was an old stand-up fan and the other was an old wicker chair with the seat broken out. Knowing the chair needed a ‘container’ to plant in and seeing the ‘basket’ part of the fan cover gave me the idea of using them together.

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1. I removed the front basket part and the fan itself from the fan and we tossed the rest back into the shed.

2. As I looked at the chair, I realized no one could ever sit in it again - the seat was all broken down. What colour should I paint it? After a bit of consideration, and knowing it should be a light colour to show up in a mostly shady area, I decided on a creamy white.

3. The only other material I used was a roll of burlap found in the hardware store. I cut a rectangle piece, approximately a metre square and set the basket part of the fan on top, wrapping the burlap around. I’m sure this will need to be done each season, so I figured the soil and plants would be enough to hold the burlap to the fan.

4. Potting soil was poured into the wrapped basket and then it was time to plant up with assorted annuals.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON PAINTING WICKER

A couple of galvanised steel flower buckets, with blue nierembergia were set by one side.

I had fun planting flowers in my new junk ‘container!’ I placed the chair next to my rhododendron that lives happily in my part shade garden under the oaks.

It’s in site of our sitting area there and I’ll enjoy seeing it when I relax there during the summer.

It’s so enjoyable working out new and different ways to create something out of nothing and then share how it’s created.

Hopefully someone will take this original idea and tweak it into yet another original.

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http://www.fleamarketgardening.org

quick and easy... concrete leaf YOU WILL NEED:

Leaf - rhubarb, elephant ear or any large leaf River sand Cement Plastic bin liner bags Clingfilm The recipe I used was 2 scoops of cement and 6 scoops sand for two leaves. I mixed the ‘batter’ as thick as Brownie batter.

Cover your work surface with plastic and build mounds with sand about 10cm high.

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Place a sheet of clingfilm and smooth over the mound of sand and then place the leaf over this.

I covered the leaf with a 3cm thick layer of the cement mix and patted the surface and then covered the entire project with a plastic bin liner. This lets the concrete to dry slowly and prevents cracks.

After 24 hours I carefully reached under the sand and lifted up the leaf casting, with the leaf still attached and carefully peeled away the leaf.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE GARDEN PROJECTS

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Aging accessories to make them look old can give your garden an antique and timeless look.

It’s fun to make new clay, stone, or concrete containers look old.

Try these techniques on garden containers and add a rustic touch to your garden decor.

quick and easy... rustic garden Copper pots can be aged and used in the garden for an antique look. You can speed up the aging process by spraying copper pots with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, vinegar and a little salt.

Use 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide and 1 cup of white vinegar and add 2 tablespoons of salt. Put the mixture in a spray bottle. Spray directly onto the metal and you should start to see results within 10 minutes. You can apply more of the spray mixture for added effect or onto certain areas. This mixture can also be used on other metals to speed up the rusting process and add an aged patina.

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CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON RUSTING METAL

http://www.fleamarketgardening.org

Aging copper

Mossy patinas

Get plain yogurt and sprinkle in some moss spores from your local nursery or collect moss from your garden or neighbourhood….look in shady woodsy spots. Chop the moss finely and stir lightly with a spoon. Then, use a brush to apply this mixture to your terracotta pots. Cover with a clear plastic bag and let them sit outside in the shade for about 10 days and you should see beautiful moss beginning to grow on your terracotta pots.

http://www.gather.com

Terracotta, stone and hypertufa containers all lend themselves nicely to having moss grown on them, giving each one an antique look. Just leaving the container outdoors on the wet ground under some leaves will achieve an old look within weeks.

Decomposing leaves give off low concentrations of acid which is why they can etch glass bottles if left outside.

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It’s easy to make your own concrete hypertufa planters! My friend Cheryl and I had each heard about hypertufa container projects and been fascinated, but both had put it off as a ‘someday’ project. This would change today!

What are hypertufa troughs?

Hypertufa (pronounced hyper-toofa) is a mixture of peat moss, perlite, cement and water and was invented by alpine plant enthusiasts as perfect replacements for the old stone trough planters so desired so show off their tiny plants. They’re fabulous for succulents because the rustic texture of the containers contrast with the fine intricate shapes of tiny groups of plants and other succulents.

YOU WILL NEED:

Peat moss Perlite Cement Mixing tub Dust mask Rubber gloves Trowel Plastic or canvas drop cloth Containers for a mould Plastic bags

Finding the Materials

We prepared the moulds, buckets or plastic containers - lining each with a plastic bag or bin liner.

We used 4 trowel scoops each of cement, peat moss and perlite. That made two small troughs.

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http://www.fleamarketgardening.org

The peat moss and perlite was available at our local garden centre.

The cement was bought at our local Builders Warehouse.

http://cactiguide.com

quick and easy... hypertufa Add water to the mix a little at a time until it feels like mudpies, or Brownie batter and holds together in a ball when you squeeze it. Press firmly around the sides of your container. The sides are 3cm thick.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE GARDEN PROJECTS

IMPORTANT: The next day, take out the sticks used to make drain holes. It’s much harder to do so afterward.

After a week, I cut away the box moulds and carefully let them dry further without the plastic bags.

http://whatzgrowinon.blogspot.com

Carefully lift the filled mould and place in a rubbish bag. Mist with water and seal loosely and leave for one day. If you mist each day you will have a much stronger pot at the end.

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n u F e h t Joi n

More great projects for you to make and take home Beginners & Advanced Workshops Basic Electrical and Plumbing Workshops Basic Welding | Career Workshops Saturday & Sunday mornings from 09:00 to 12:00

www.DIY-DIVAS.co.za 52

DECORATING, HOME IMPROVEMENT OR DIY PROJECT - WE WANT TO KNOW! IN FACT, WE WANT TO SHARE YOUR PROJECT AND ENTER YOU INTO THE QUARTERLY DRAW FOR BOSCH, SKILL AND DREMEL

IMAGE SOURCE: INMAGINE.COM

IF YOU ARE TACKLING ANY TYPE OF

TOOL HAMPERS.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS USE YOUR BOSCH, SKIL OR DREMEL TOOLS TO MAKE, REPAIR OR INSTALL AND SEND US A FEW ‘BEFORE’ AND ‘AFTER’ PICS. THEN TELL US HOW YOU TACKLED THE PROJECT.

SEND IMAGES AND DETAILS TO: home-dzine@iburst.co.za

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