Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This is part 1 of 2.
Welcome back to Our Life in the Philippines! I’m Kuya Jason, and today we are getting creative with some leftover materials from our new house construction. Instead of throwing away scrap wood and plastic, I’m showing you how we turned them into DIY cement planter molds! 🪴
Timestamps
• [00:00] - Introduction: Jason explains the inspiration for the project: saving money on 1,000-peso concrete planters.
• [00:46] - Form Building: Overview of the materials used, including scrap plywood and decorative vinyl board for a smooth finish.
• [01:59] - Measurements: Details on the planter dimensions (10" bottom, 12" top, 12" height) to create a tapered look.
• [02:37] - Reinforcement: Jason explains using scrap wire and "mechanics wire" to prevent the concrete from cracking.
• [04:29] - Mixing Concrete: The first batch of concrete is mixed using a "dipper" measurement (traditional Philippine style).
• [05:21] - Final Ratio: Adjusting the mix to a 50/50 ratio of cement and sand for better consistency.
• [06:23] - Pouring & Smoothing: Filling the forms and using a board to level the surface.
• [07:08] - Screening Sand: A look at why sand in the Philippines must be screened to remove river rocks.
• [08:16] - The Vibration Method: A "trick" to remove air bubbles from the wet concrete by shaking the table.
• [09:26] - Method Two: Introduction of a different approach using a wooden box and burlap.
• [11:10] - Chicken Wire Support: Prepping the second planter by adding chicken wire to help the plaster stick.
• [11:44] - End of Day 1 Progress: Reviewing the progress of both planters and letting them set overnight.
Building a new home here in the Philippines leaves a lot of "sayang" (waste) materials, so I decided to put them to good use. This is a budget-friendly way to make beautiful, heavy-duty concrete pots for our garden without spending money on expensive store-bought molds.
[What’s Inside]
• How to find the best scrap materials for molds.
• My simple cement mixing process for local conditions.
• Tips for pouring and setting in the Philippine heat.
Stay tuned for part 2
Unboxing our custom "scrap-made" planters!
[Support Our Journey]
We are so happy to share our house-building journey with you. If you want to see more DIY projects and updates on our life here in the Philippines, please Subscribe and hit the notification bell!
Maraming salamat po for watching!
#OurLifeInThePhilippines #KuyaJason #DIYPlanters #PinoyDIY #ConcreteProjects #ProvinceLife #ZeroWasteDIY
This is part 1 of 2.
Welcome back to Our Life in the Philippines! I’m Kuya Jason, and today we are getting creative with some leftover materials from our new house construction. Instead of throwing away scrap wood and plastic, I’m showing you how we turned them into DIY cement planter molds! 🪴
Timestamps
• [00:00] - Introduction: Jason explains the inspiration for the project: saving money on 1,000-peso concrete planters.
• [00:46] - Form Building: Overview of the materials used, including scrap plywood and decorative vinyl board for a smooth finish.
• [01:59] - Measurements: Details on the planter dimensions (10" bottom, 12" top, 12" height) to create a tapered look.
• [02:37] - Reinforcement: Jason explains using scrap wire and "mechanics wire" to prevent the concrete from cracking.
• [04:29] - Mixing Concrete: The first batch of concrete is mixed using a "dipper" measurement (traditional Philippine style).
• [05:21] - Final Ratio: Adjusting the mix to a 50/50 ratio of cement and sand for better consistency.
• [06:23] - Pouring & Smoothing: Filling the forms and using a board to level the surface.
• [07:08] - Screening Sand: A look at why sand in the Philippines must be screened to remove river rocks.
• [08:16] - The Vibration Method: A "trick" to remove air bubbles from the wet concrete by shaking the table.
• [09:26] - Method Two: Introduction of a different approach using a wooden box and burlap.
• [11:10] - Chicken Wire Support: Prepping the second planter by adding chicken wire to help the plaster stick.
• [11:44] - End of Day 1 Progress: Reviewing the progress of both planters and letting them set overnight.
Building a new home here in the Philippines leaves a lot of "sayang" (waste) materials, so I decided to put them to good use. This is a budget-friendly way to make beautiful, heavy-duty concrete pots for our garden without spending money on expensive store-bought molds.
[What’s Inside]
• How to find the best scrap materials for molds.
• My simple cement mixing process for local conditions.
• Tips for pouring and setting in the Philippine heat.
Stay tuned for part 2
Unboxing our custom "scrap-made" planters!
[Support Our Journey]
We are so happy to share our house-building journey with you. If you want to see more DIY projects and updates on our life here in the Philippines, please Subscribe and hit the notification bell!
Maraming salamat po for watching!
#OurLifeInThePhilippines #KuyaJason #DIYPlanters #PinoyDIY #ConcreteProjects #ProvinceLife #ZeroWasteDIY
