Shopping list
• one plastic planter
• small terracotta pot
• 2000 x 6mm steel rod
• plastic mesh
• pump
• plastic tubing
• pebbles

Plus
• cable ties
• chain
• eye bolt, nut and washer
• thread tape
• hose clamps

Tools
• drill and 6mm drill bit
• 20mm spade bit
• hacksaw
• shifting spanner
• screwdriver

1 Use the hacksaw to cut the steel rod to 1500mm, then use a bench vice to curve the steel by bending one end over and bending 100mm of the other end at 90°.

2 Drill a hole in the top of the pot.

3 Apply thread tape to the threads of the fittings and turn into the pump, tightening with the shifting spanner – but not too tight as you may crack the plastic housing.

4 To use a thin tube (10mm) for the water outlet, add in a ‘reducer’. Fit this to the end of a short length of 15mm hose, using hose clamps to seal the joins. Fasten these clamps with a screwdriver.

5 Use the spade bit to make a hole in the top right corner at the back of the container. Now thread the tubing and pump cable through this hole before placing the pump inside the container.

6 Now fix the clear tubing to the 6mm steel rod using cable ties fixed at regular intervals, as shown. Trim the remaining ends using a carpet knife or pliers.

7 Cut the plastic mesh to the size of the opening and use the 6mm drill to drill holes along the inside edge of the plastic planter and then fix the plastic mesh inside using more cable ties. Then place the pebbles on top of the mesh.

8 Fit the eye bolt through the hole in the base of the pot and fix it in place with two nuts and washers – one of each on either side of the hole. We pried open the eye bolt to make a tight hook that could hang from the length of chain.

9 Use some epoxy putty to seal the hole at the back of the water feature.

 

 

Project notes

• To save on costs, we opted for a plastic planter.
• We used a small pump with adequate force to pump water to a height of at least 1.5m (the height of the water outlet).