DIY Indoor Water Fountain

You must have some indoor plants to decorate your home, but adding a indoor fountain can dramatically improve the aura and ambiance of your home. A fountain can add a touch of liveliness and freshness to indoor living. The bubbling and soothing sounds of flowing water can reduce the stress and bring a natural feeling.

In this Instructable, I am going to show you how to make your indoor fountain by using reusing household materials like plastic bottles and container. No doubt, you can buy an indoor fountain directly from the market, but making it at your own gives pleasure and satisfaction.

Step 1: Materials and Tools Required

Material Required :

1. Big Plastic Container

2. Plastic Bottles

3. Plastic Jars

4. Old Clothes

5. White Cement (Amazon)

6.Submersible Water Pump (Amazon)

7.PVC Pipe

8. Metal Wire Mesh (Amazon)

9. Warm White LED Strip with Adapter (Amazon)

10. Decorative Stones (Amazon)

11. Plastic flowers and leaves (Amazon)

12. Glue Sticks (Amazon)

13. Acrylic Colors (Amazon)

14. Aluminium Foil (Amazon)

Tools Required :

1. Drilling Machine (Amazon)

2. Hot Glue Gun (Amazon)

3. Hobby Knife (Amazon)

Step 2: Prepare the Bottles

Here I have used an one liter mineral water bottle and a half liter sprite bottle.I will suggest to use a strong bottle like 1.5 Liter soft drinks bottle instead of water bottle.I have used the water bottle, because during my building, it was not found in my junk yard.

First remove the plastic label from the bottles. Draw a inclined guide line and then cut out by following the guide line with a hobby knife.You can see the image shown above. In the later stage of the project, these two bottles will be utilized as stands for the two containers.

Step 3: Prepare the Plastic Jars

In this project, you will need 3 plastic jars : Large (1 Kg) , Medium (1/2 Kg) and small (200 ml).

Remove the plastic labels as did in the earlier step.

Then cut out the top neck rim portion as shown above.

Step 4: Drill Holes

Drill one hole in the bigger plastic bottle and the plastic jar.

The hole size should be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pipe that will be used for water pumping.

You have to drill a hole at the bottom of the medium size jar too.

Step 5: Join the Bottle and Jars

Stack the jar over the bottle by aligning it properly.

Then join them together by using duct tape/packing tape.

You can see the above picture for better understanding.

Step 6: Prepare the Cement Mix

Here, I have used White Portland Cement but you can use the regular cement too.

Take required amount of white cement,add water gradually and mix it.

Add more water and mix it until the mix become semi liquid paste.

Step 7: Construct the Mountain Structures

Cut the fabric in to small pieces, such a way that you can easily wrap all around the bottle and jar. Dip the piece of fabric and mix it thoroughly into the prepared cement paste. Then wrap that cemented fabric all around as shown in the above picture.Once you have completed the warping, you have to make a narrow channel ( mouth ) for giving direction to the water flow. It is not required for the small jar.

To give the final texture, you can apply layer of thick cement coat by using a flat paint brush. Finally leave it for drying.

Step 8: Coloring the Mountain Structure

In the beginning paint the whole thing with light brown acrylic color.

When the light brown color has dried up then highlight the whole structure with Crimson yellow (Dry brush).

After drying, apply black acrylic shade to featured its shadow zones.

Step 9: Adding Some Lighting

I used a warm white water proof LED strip to lit up the fountain.

Cut the LED strip with length slightly smaller then the perimeter of the big container used for the reservoir.

To mount the LED strip strongly, I used double sided tap here.Strip off the back side of the LED strip and paste it over the double sided tape. Drill a hole to pass the terminal wire from the LED strip.

Step 10: Covering Up the Reservoir

The three mountain structures made earlier will be stand over the reservoir, a wire mesh is not enough to bear the load. So, I made a roof by using acrylic sheet as shown above.The acrylic sheets are joined together and with the reservoir by using super glue.

Finally, cover up the reservoir with a metal wire mesh. To prevent from rusting, I painted the mesh by using black spray paint.

Step 11: Glue the Structures

Insert the flexible PVC pipe in to the hole made in the bigger structure, as shown above.Place the bigger structure over the wire mesh and marked its position, then poke a hole to pass the pipe. Keep the submersible on the base of the reservoir in such a way that its discharge opening should be aligned with the top pipe.Then insert the pipe in to the pump discharge.Fix the entire structure over the wire mesh by using sufficient amount of hot glue.

Similarly fix the other two structure in such a way that the bigger structure mouth is directed to the middle one opening and the middle structure mouth is directed to the smaller one.

Step 12: Giving the Rocky Mountain Texture

Now it is time to give the realistic rocky mountain texture.To make the texture, I used squeezed aluminium foil.

Paste the squeezed aluminium foil ball, all around the mountain structure.

Color the foil with acrylic color as you have done in the earlier step.

Step 13: Decorate the Fountain

Decorate the fountain with plastic leaves and flowers.

You can add some stones to make it more attractive.

Step 14: Full the Reservoir With Water and Test It

Fill reservoir with water.Don't fill it up upto the LED strip level, the water level shall be lower than it.Now you are ready to test it. Be sure all the electrical joints are in dry condition.

Switch on the pump and LED strip. The LED strip will be light up and you will hear the splashing water sound.

It will take some time to fill up all the jars with water, then only you can see the continuous water stream from top to bottom.

Thank you so much for reading my Instructable.

This Instructable is entered in to Water Contest , please vote for me.