DIY A Faux Limestone Planter With A Budget-Friendly Project

Real stone troughs and planters are the secret crush of many gardeners and backyard enthusiasts. Surprisingly versatile, they evoke a certain nostalgic charm, fitting in with almost every type of home exterior and garden aesthetic imaginable. Whether they're molded or handcrafted from natural stone, limestone planters are durable, weathering beautifully as they age and only getting more appealing with time.

That's why you'll find custom limestone planters and fountain troughs at retailers like Olive Ateliers, a popular artisanal retailer located in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles. But unless you can afford hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a single piece (particularly vintage options), the prices are out of reach. The good news is that you can add a touch of classic elegance to your garden by DIYing a faux limestone planter for a fraction of what you'd pay for the real thing.

If you love to create eye-catching planters with fun DIY projects, you'll appreciate how much mileage you can get with this one. A faux limestone planters can be used as fountain troughs, container gardens, and accent pieces to anchor the corners of your garden. They immediately catch your attention, drawing your eye to pathways and views and making your garden aesthetic more cohesive and dimensional. Although you may want to start with a smaller planter if this is your first time, they're relatively easy to make with concrete mortar, a medium that's much more forgiving than you might think. This isn't a beginner's project, however. You'll want some experience building wood frames, using concrete molds, and all the right tools (saw, drill with screw bits, staple gun, gloves, applicators) and materials (2-inch by 4-inch boards, cement board, chicken wire, cement and Travertino mixes, and decorative materials).

Brittany and her friend Chris from the Olivia Atlas Home YouTube channel create a faux limestone planter using cement mortar mix. Then, they add a decorative finish using a Travertino coating to create the limestone effect, followed by antiquing touches to give it a worn, vintage character. Brittany throws a little bit of everything at this project, including dirt, coffee grounds, limestone, and an antique glaze, to get just the antique look she wants.

Brittany's project starts with a frame of wood and cement board wrapped in chicken wire, which is used to support the mortar mix. Then, the mortar mix is applied by hand, pushing it over the form and into the chicken wire until the outside is completely covered. The unevenly applied mortar mix mimics natural stone, and the Travertino coating gives it an authentic limestone vibe. Although she used a Travertino mix with a coloring for this project, she recommends going without color if you'll be adding your own treatment. This project is endlessly customizable: DIY faux limestone containers can be any size you want, from large troughs for planters to containers for small succulent balls for your garden. They can even be part of the perfect hummingbird container garden.

Stone-look planters give your patio a more personalized look, and Brittany's method is just one way to make them. You can experiment with different materials, forms, and finishes to achieve a variety of styles, including adding embellishments or using hypertufa instead of regular mortar mix to make them lighter. If you don't want to build your own form, use a plastic or metal version off Amazon for $50 to $100, then coat that with the cement mix. Antiquing, is of course, optional as well.