Mudman
Everything you need to make your first textured concrete pot. No kiln, no studio, no pottery wheel.
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Essentials
Hardware store or Home Depot / 25lb (~$18) or 55lb (~$28)
Not Quikrete, not a generic concrete mix. RapidSet Cementall gives you the right consistency, cure time, and strength for sand-casting. Other mixes will give you a bad first experience. The 55lb bag is the best value and makes 6-12 pots depending on size.
Hardware store or Home Depot / ~$8
Quikrete Play Sand. This is your mold. You dig your pot shape into the sand, pour concrete in, and the sand gives it that wild, organic texture.
Hardware store or Home Depot / ~$5 each
One holds your sand, one is for mixing concrete. Cheap, easy to find, and you'll reuse them forever.
Already have a plastic storage tote (15-27 gallon) at home? Use that for the sand instead of a bucket. Bigger surface = more room to dig your form.
Around your house / Free
Any plastic container: a leftover food tub, lunch container, plastic cup. This creates the hole where your plant goes. Different shapes give you different pots. Look around your kitchen before you buy anything.
Around your house / Free
Any pitcher, measuring cup, or water bottle with markings. The water-to-concrete ratio matters. Too much water = weak pot. Too little = won't pour right.
Any hardware or grocery store / ~$5
Spray your inner mold before placing it. This is your mold release. Without it, the mold bonds to the concrete and it'll be real hard to get out. You probably already have a can.
Hardware store or Home Depot / ~$3-5
For mixing and scraping concrete out of your bucket. Gets the sides clean and helps you work the mix fast.
Around your house / Free
For scooping the first few inches of concrete into the form. Pouring straight from the bucket onto bare sand will mess up the base shape. Scoop first, then pour.
Safety (Don't Skip This)
Hardware store or Home Depot / ~$10
Concrete is alkaline and will dry out your skin. Get the thick ones. Thin gloves tear when you're working with sand. Wear them the whole time.
Hardware store or Home Depot / ~$10-15
Put this on before you open the bag. Concrete dust is no joke. You only need it during the dry mixing step, but don't skip it.
Cure + Clean
Grocery store or Walmart / ~$3
Wrap your pot after pulling it from the sand. This slows down the cure and helps prevent cracking. Concrete that dries too fast gets brittle.
Hardware store or Home Depot / ~$3-10
Get a few. Soft bristles for knocking off loose sand, stiffer ones for dust and sand that's stuck. A drill brush attachment speeds up the whole process.
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