In this Instructable, you will learn how to make a model waterfall feature out of concrete and natural elements.

This model is very calming and natural, and works great placed on a desk!

Supplies

Materials

· Styrofoam

· Small plastic cups

· Concrete/cement

· Acrylic paint

· Pebble & Bark

· Moss & Small plants

· Bottle/Tin cans for plant pots

· 11x14 plexiglass sheets

· 10x10 Plastic plant tray no holes (or any plastic tray that does not leak)

· 12x12 wood Square Planter Box with 11x11 inside tin box (optional)

· Mini Fountain pump, ultra-quiet submersible water pump

Tools

· Craft knife

· Hot Glue Gun

· Paint brush and concrete spreading tool

· Drill/Awl

Step 1: Supplies

Step 2: Sketch the View.

I am not an artist but I will give it a try. We would like to have a peaceful water feature, with no splashing. Our design has a mountain at the back, towards the left corner, with water flow from the top basin to the mid basin then streaming down. Next to it, a lower mountain in the middle at the back hides water pump. There are a few rocks in the front (maybe on the left and right). We would introduce some green by adding moss around the mountain and maybe planting some "trees" in between.

Step 3: Lay Out Foam

Lay out foam pieces according to our vision to get a feeling of size needed. We ended up using some real rocks instead of foam.

Step 4: Cutting the Foam

Cut the foam with a craft knife to the desired shape. Please make sure to

· Vary the angle of the cuts to make the mountain look natural.

· Cut out two pockets for small plastic cups for water basin in the big “mountain” piece.

· Cut out a space for water pump (at the bottom) and pipe (at the back)

· Cut out some dents on the foam “mountain” to add real rock later. This would make our “mountain” more realistic.

Hot glue pieces together if needed.

Step 5: Apply First Layer of Concrete

Mix and apply the first layer of concrete.

Step 6: Mix Color for More Layers of Concrete

Mix color for mountain. We used black, grey, brown, blue and green for a diverse mix of colors in nature.

Mix the color into more layers of concrete.

Step 7: Apply More Concrete.

Apply multiple layers of concrete and add rocks to the cuts as desired.

After adding real rocks, we would color around it so that the newly added rock mingles well with the “mountain”. E.g., add browner tint around a brownish rock.

(Tip: You might need to cut out parts you do not want and reapply cement.)

Step 8: Add Water Pump and Pipe.

Add water pump and pipe.

Tip: You might want to adjust water flow by adding more rocks and patch with cement.

Step 9: Real Rock

We decide to use real rocks, except for the back “mountains” used for the water feature.

Create a rock base with foam. Cut out a hole to fit in the real rock and seal with concrete. Color concrete as needed.

Step 10: Plant

Cut the plastic bottle so that the bottom part is appropriate for the plant we use and fits in between the rocks. Drill holes at the bottom of the bottle. Add garden soil and plant. Set up plant in our setting. We added two pots, a green one in front and a green/red one at the back.

Step 11: Moss & Pebbles

Cut moss into small pieces. Stick it to the “mountain” by adding damp soil then moss. Some suggested to use yogurt instead of damp soil.

Step 12: Into the Planter

Seal the inside of planter if needed with clear caulk.

Our planter has a height of 4” and our plastic plant tray is only 2.5” so we cut a square shaped piece of foam to fit into the insider tin box before putting in our tray with water features.

Step 13: Cover Frame Sides

We used two 11x14 Plexiglass sheet as sides, and one 11x14 sheet as the back (cutting a rectangle hole for power). Typically, clear caulk is used to seal the sides. However, the plexiglass we got is very thin—it is too floppy to be sealed steadily with caulk. We decide to use transparent tape instead to connect the three side-piece of plexiglass sheets. Insert the plexiglass in between the tray and planter, tape.

Step 14: Cover Frame Top

We used one 11x14 piece of plexiglass sheet as the top. Mark 1.5" on each side along the 14-inch side as shown. Cut lightly so we can fold both sides down without breaking the sheet. Only remove one side of the protective sheet and leave the other side of protective sheet on.