Collection: Planters

This post is going to be a bit longer than usual.

I like plants, I like 3D printing, and I found a way to combine the two.

I ran many experiments to figure out how to get a watertight print: different filaments, print settings, and post-processing methods. In the end, I found that the cheapest way to make a print watertight is to use epoxy resin.

It requires a bit of extra effort, but it is worth it. With filament alone, such as PLA or PETG, leaks will appear after weeks, or sometimes months. With properly cured epoxy resin, I have not had any leaks in years.

A friend of mine is a big fan of Zelda, specifically Breath of the Wild. I decided to print her a Zelda-themed planter. When I found the decayed guardian model, it seemed like a good idea.

After finishing the print, painting it, and planting a cutting from my ivy, I told her boyfriend about it, excited about what I had made. He told me she had an irrational fear of those monsters in particular, and that there was a chance she would not want it.

Shit - I thought. I decided I would make something else if she did not like it. That was a non-issue, she liked it.

I used my airbrush to paint all of the lights and added some fake moss around it.

Model: Decayed Guardian Planter from Zelda: BotW

Part of me still wants a gothic castle. I brought a bit of that into my very white-painted home with this hanging skull planter.

Model: Hanging Skull Planter

I inherited a large monstera plant, and after watching videos about plant care from people with jungle-sized plants, I wanted to experiment with using a moss pole to support it.

What I did not realise, or perhaps did not want to realise, is that people with jungle-sized plants usually live in jungle-like climates. Maintaining the moss turned out to be a lot of work, so I eventually kept the pole empty and used it only to tie the plant.

Model: Modular Moss Pole

Here are some self-watering planters I printed to give away some of my basil and Thai basil, which grew excessively last summer.

Model: Self-Watering Planter

Last year, I wanted to grow herbs and plants in outdoor planters. I found a self-watering seed starter model, I printed two of them.

They helped me grow basil, mint, dill, tomatoes, and strawberries. The covers are useful for keeping the seeds moist and warm during germination.

Model: Self-Watering Seed Starter

The Force was strong with this one, but not strong enough. These lithops died after a year, and I am still unsure what I did wrong.

Model: Death Star Pot Plant

Behold, my castle planter !

I love the design of this one and am very happy with the result.

I primed it white, painted it bone-colored, and brushed the main body with a dark wash. The main challenge was the stained glass. I did not expect to be so satisfied with the result.

First, I separated the glass into uneven shapes using black paint. Then I chose three different colors for the windows and painted them. Finally, I applied epoxy resin to the windows to achieve a glossy effect.

I had some dried selaginella stored in a drawer, which I glued to the side of the castle to create an ivy-like look. Unfortunately, the dried plant stayed green because it had been kept away from light. After a few months in the sun, it turned yellow. I will replace it with fake moss.

Model: Castle Planter with Self-Watering Moat

Model: Greek Pillar Flower Pot

Model: Planter with Stairs

This is a drip tray to place under a plant pot that has a hole at the bottom.

Model: Plant Saucer Tray

This is a pot I printed to place inside a decorative planter.

Model: Simple Plant Pot

I made a few modifications to it in Blender so the edges would be smoother and it would require less print time and fewer supports. I no longer have the exact time comparison, but the print time was reduced by at least half.

Bambulab Studio: Left is original, right is modified

Model: Inflated Plant Pot

I present Pot Boy, from Elden Ring !

This was another birthday gift for a friend. I am not sure if the plant is still alive, actually would bet it is not.

Model: Pot Boy Planter

This is a plant watering globe. I printed several of them a year ago and still use them. They work well.

I do not have a photo of the failed print, but I made a mistake on my first attempt by scaling the model down too much without properly checking the slicing. The result was missing parts because the model was too fine for the selected layer height.

Model: Plant Watering Globe