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Tipsy Pots Tutorial


Tipsy Planted Pots

Ok this is so far the Cutest Coolest thing I've ever made! 

I just knew I was gonna stop traffic in front of
my house with this creation!

I have to give THANKS to Becky @ Nine is Fine
for her excellent tutorial. Yes! Nine is for 9 kids!

Please stop and visit her wonderful blog.

Here's her amazing tutorial followed by my verson:

I've made a couple of the "Tipsy Pots" now and I'll share with y'all what I've learned...
I actually saw the tipsy pots set up in my local home improvement store. They were selling a kit with a plastic rod and stand for $15.
I just choose to go a different route.

Here are the supplies that I used-
Pots (I used a 14" pot for the base and (4) 8" pots for the rest)

Potting soil (I bought a 2 cubic foot bag and used just over half of it)

Flowers (or herbs...whatever your little heart desires)

1/2" piece of steel conduit (you can use rebar too) This needs to be at least 6 feet tall)

Gotta love flowers!

I think the bag of potting soil cost me about 10 bucks at WallyMart.
Now here is the deal with the pots...
Not all pots are created equal.
If you are using the 1/2" conduit then you will need pots with a drainage hole of 1".
The ones that I bought from Walmart had drainage holes that were much smaller then the ones that I bought elsewhere.
So...

You can fix this either by using a smaller rod, like rebar OR use a grinder tool to enlarge the drainage holes.

If your drainage holes are not big enough in proportion to your metal rod, then the pots will not be able to tip enough to give you the whole "tipsy" look.
I chose the 1/2" steel conduit in a 10 foot length.
The conduit didn't even cost $2 for the entire piece.
Choose the spot for your pots (Ha! That almost rhymes).

You won't be able to move them once they are assembled.

Even up the ground so your bottom pot has a flat surface to sit on.

Take your metal rod and start pounding it into the ground.

Just be sure that there isn't any pesky pipes or natural gas lines where you are planning on putting your metal rod. Just sayin...

If you have purchased the same size pots as I did then you will need 44" left above ground on which to assemble your pots.

If you are using the conduit then it may squish down on the top when you are hammering it down into the ground.

See the little squishy part of the conduit?

We had to take a hacksaw and cut it off.

Otherwise it wouldn't have fit through the drainage holes on the pots.
Here is my conduit, hammered way down into the ground.
We have cut off the little squished down part on the top.

From the ground to the top of my rod measures 44".
Thread the rod through the bottom of your biggest pot and place it on the ground.
Fill it most of the way up with potting soil.

Be sure and put enough soil so that when you put the next pot in, it doesn't sink way down in the big pot.
Take one of your smaller pots and thread it through the metal rod.
Tip it to the side and set it down on top of the potting soil that you just placed in the big pot.
As you can see in the picture, this smaller pot will not be resting on the side of the bottom pot. The metal rod will prevent it from tipping that far.
That is totally okie dookie.
Place potting soil in the pot, leaving room for your plants.
Take your next pot and thread it through the metal rod.
The bottom of this pot will sit on the edge of the pot just underneath it.
Put potting soil in that pot too.

Then repeat the last step with your next pot.
Lather, rinse and repeat with the last pot.

Your tipsy pots should now look like this.
See how the top of the rod is just the right height?
Plant your flowers...

Water...

And enjoy!
Use your imagination!
You can use other items besides pots...
Other plants besides flowers...
Ahhhh...the possibilities!

Didn't Becky just do an amazing job at explaining!? Thanks Becky for letting me share your post with my readers.

Now I did exactly what she said and I used my IMAGINATION!
And here is what I did....
Just add paint.....

I used this sponge blotter to make polka dots
I just painted a round circle with some left over chalkboard paint
I'm too lazy for stencils so I just used chalk for the numbers.
Then painted over it!
Ta Da!
Mine isn't quite as tipsy has hers because I used a 3ft wooden dowel (25cent) at Wal-mart instead of  6ft rebar.
I even made a miniture one
Next I plan on making a few for indoors with my ivy and wandering jew plants:-)

~Please check my sidebar for all the wonderful places I link up and MORE great ideas.~

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77 comments:

  1. Hi Michell! I just popped over from Between Naps on the Porch...what a cute idea! I LOVE the polka dots!
    Christine

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  2. Love your polka dot version!

    Great job!!!

    Becky

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  3. I love your fun colors and polkadots! So clever! visiting from all thingz related...
    justsewsassy.com

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  4. love your street address addition really cool !!
    hugs from Savannah, Cherry

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  5. I LOVE this!! Bookmarking for later. Thanks for the tutorial :)

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  6. This is really cool and another fun way to celebrate summer with kids. I love this idea. Thanks for sharing! :o)

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  7. I had seen Becky's tipsy planter and have it on my list of projects to make, and I had decided it needed to be painted. You've convinced me that that's the way to go!

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  8. that is totally adorable. I love the spin on it. I have this also and wish I would have thought of this creative idea like you did!
    great job!
    ~tana

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  9. Seems like no matter what you do with these, they look so fun. Nice idea to add the dots and your address. Amazing; it makes me smile! Following you now. Pam @ Sallygoodin

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  10. Oh I need to make one of these!! Love yours! Great job!

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  11. I love the polka dots! It turned out so cute!

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  12. Nifty! Great work! I may have to try this sometime...Thanks for linking up to Mad Skills Monday!

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  13. Oh my goodness - that is adorable ! I am so going to try this - thank you ! You made it look so easy !!!!!


    hugs,
    gena
    www.thehouseonlavenderhill.blogspot.com

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  14. So cute, I love the polka dots!

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  15. Oh My Goodness! Is that Cute! And stopping traffic... I actually saw something like this while driving & stopped to look at it. I am going to copy/make something similar :)
    Thanks for showing me how.
    stopping by from BNOTP

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  16. I will have to make one of these for sure!

    Just adorable.

    Suzan

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  17. How cute! I'm going to have to share this with my craftier friends. They'll love it as well. :) Happy "Rednesday" :)

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  18. This is sooooo stinkin cute...luv that you used the chalk (looks great). Hop over and enter my COASTAL GIVEAWAY...think you will like it:)

    Blessings,
    Linda

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  19. I made these a few years ago, and I get so many compliments on them! They're definitely a showstopper. Or carstopper! You've got me thinking now about painting some polka dots on my plain old pots. Just adorable!
    Happy REDnesday!
    Carol

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  20. Oh how cute!! Very whimsical!

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  21. OMG! The dots made all the difference - yours are the best! How wonderfully whimsical. I gotta go make me one now, you've inspired me! Thank you.

    Haupi
    @ Hauplight

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  22. How fabulous is that?!? Thanks for sharing!

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  23. OMGosh what a fabulous idea, you made it look so simple, think I might have to try this. I'm also going to follow your blog, first time here and loven it!!

    Melissa

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  24. Love your tipsy pots, so much fun!

    Happy Rednesday,
    Sally

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  25. Oh that's a wonderful project!

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  26. LOVE your polkie pots! How fun. I think I'll have to make a tipsy thing for my patio. Thanks so much for sharing!

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  27. Oh I love this! I have often wondered how they make them! your tutorial is awesome! going to give it a try :)
    Thanks a bunch!!
    Wendy

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  28. Kewelopolis planter! You made it yourself. What a show stopper.
    Joyce

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  29. This is such a great project. I love the colors you chose for the the pots.

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  30. You did a very good job. I like the way you used your address on the pots.

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  31. I've been wanting to make some tipsy pots. That is a very clear tutorial. I like your polka dots and putting house number on them.
    Kathy

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  32. what a super idea. I love both of them. great way to get vertical height.

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  33. I saw these years ago and just had to have them. Funny thing.. I just took them down a few weeks ago. I needed new pots. haha. Cant' wait to make me some more... next time with polka dots :)

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  34. it is very cute and I am putting it in my favorites.....this would be cute in my garden.......

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  35. Holy crap, these are awesome! I love both versions. And the mini one.

    Thank you for participating in the Creative Therapy Session at Life in the Pitts.

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  36. I love this whole concept...why, even seal them as they are, and put in a water pump....a yard fountain!!! But I DO love the flowers better.

    My Show n Tell is 'showing off the flowers...". Do come by if you have time today, I'd love to have you visit with me.

    Hootin' Anni's SHADES OF SUMMER

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  37. Wow, this is so clever, neat and cute. What a nice job you did. I'm sure everyone loves driving past your house just to look at this little display. Great post.

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  38. This is just aaadorable!! I so want to try it now! Great job!

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  39. Love it!
    That is a Friday's Favorite~ come join the party :-)

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  40. How cute is that! love it...

    Wishing I had any creative ability whatsover right now...

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  41. Those pots are the cutest things I have ever seen! I want to go get started making some right now! Very, very clever and unusual.
    Thanks for sharing. Marcy
    mantle@piedmontcenter.com
    www.queenmarcyoriginals.typepad.com

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  42. What a nifty project! Great way to show off the house number :)

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  43. Oh how CUTE! Love it
    ... tipsy pots! :-)
    Cass

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  44. Happy Friday! I am stopping by via the linky party.

    Your pots look utterly charming!

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  45. I love your take on it... it's so fun and whimsical.

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  46. This is so cool!
    Thanks for sharing @ Anything Related!

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  47. What a fun a whimsical wacky planter. I love how you decorated the pots!

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  48. That turned out adorable!! I so want to do that for my front flower bed.

    Come check out my "13 Weekends of Summer" Giveaway Blog Hop (every Sat & Sun). Each weekend you link up is an entry into the giveaways. :)
    http://www.susiebhomemaker.com/2010/06/13-weekends-of-summer-giveaway-blog-hop.html

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  49. Love how your Tipsy pots turned out!! A definite traffic stopper :o)

    Blessings & Aloha!
    Hm....I'd love to do that around our yard :o)

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  50. Very cute! I've seen these done before but the polka dots make them so whimsical. Thanks for sharing...please come again to my Perpetual Link Party.

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  51. SO SUPER CUTE!!!

    I wish I had the motivation and the talent to get something like that done. Bahh! Super cute! Looking forward to seeing more of your fun stuff!

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  52. That is adorable. Yes, I agree that Becky did an excellent job explaining, but I LOVE your version too. Great idea about the numbers. Now I wish my house had more numbers in it!

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  53. VERY CUTE. Polka dots are hard to do on a circlular object,too.

    Thanks for posting to the party.

    Cheri

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  54. aw..... those are SUPER cute! Well done! I love the idea!

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  55. Hi Michell! What a super cool project! Found you through MBC Simply Follow. You have a new follower! Come visit me at http://jinnialow.com. Have a great 4th of July!

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  56. What a cute idea!! I'm following you from MBC - hope you'll stop by and follow me too!
    http://www.musicforspecialkids.com/

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  57. Cute idea. You said you were going to make some for indoors. How? You won't be able to pound anything into the ground so whats going to anchor it.

    I'd love to make one for out in front of my apartment. The driveway goes straight up to the front door & living room window. So I sorta have a little patio.

    Thots? Thanks, Tina "The Book Lady"
    http://www.familyliteracyandyou.blogspot.com
    http://www.givingnsharing.blogspot.com

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  58. WOW! What a great idea! I love this project. I'm hoping to attempt this myself. Thanks for sharing. I'm your newest follower from MBC.

    **Yolie
    http://SophisticateStyle.blogspot.com

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  59. Love this craft. I also voted for Rein. I follow you from MBC

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  60. What a great idea! I'm going to pass this along to my friend who LOVES polka-dots. I think she would paint her house in polka-dota if she could. ;)

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  61. ADORABLE!!! I'm going to ask my husband to buy us a house just so I can make this for the front yard!!!!!! BTW I commented and joined Nine is Fine as well. :)

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  62. This is adorable! I love it. Thanks so much for linking up!

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  63. What a great idea. I always wondered how that was done!

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  64. This is adorable!!! I have a bunch of those pots just sitting in my basement cause I just haven't come up with an idea for them!! This is very cute :) http://thislittleshabbychicvegangirl.blogspot.com/

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  65. I love this idea. It would be great look for a fountain too.

    One question - since you made these, have the pots settled or moved since the 2nd one from the bottom is just sitting on the soil.

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  66. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  67. I love this idea. I would love to do this on my front porch, one on each side of the door. Any ideas on how to get it to stay together without hammering the rod into the ground? (it will be on cement)

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  68. I'm going to have to do this! Too fun!

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  69. Hey Michelle, well you've already seen I FEATURED your awesome planters. Sorry I am late on leaving my comments, BUT here I am now.

    Girl, this is so much fun, I can't believe how awesome it turned out. I would have never thought to use rebar, or something like that, but DUHH, totally make sense.

    I can't wait to try it out!!

    THANKS so much for supporting my blog by linking up to **AMAZE ME AUGUST** @ Bella Before and AfterI love having you, and thanks to you, I'm getting close to my goal of having 100 link ups, YAYYY.

    

Hugs, 
Bella :)

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  70. Is it okay for me to say I like yours more?! Cause I do! I may just be swiping this idea....now how to decorate?!?!

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  71. A nice blog always comes with new and good information and while reading I have feel that this blog is really have all those quality
    online florist

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