Piranha Planter

by Grissini

38K25516

Intro: Piranha Planter

A Mario Bros themed planter.  It could hold any small plant, but for the purposes of awesomeness, I've chosen to fill it with venus fly traps. Made from cheap and readily available materials, this would be a perfect weekend project to soop-up your planter profile.  

STEP 1: Parts

PVC tubes
  1. 3"tube
  2. 4" to 3" reducing pipe
  3. 3" coupling pipe
1/8 inch acrylic
bondo -- car putty
neon spray paint
glue

STEP 2: Putting It Together

Cut a 2" section of the 3" pipe.  It used to tie together the coupling piece and the adapter.   Fit the pieces together and if they fit nicely, glue it together.  

STEP 3: Smooth It Out

The pipe comes with annoying logos and and nodules used in molding.  I decided to sand down all the imperfections and attempt to get this as smooth possible.  There is also a seam from joining the pieces.  After sanding down everything, I added bondo to smooth things out and fill in the gaps.  After sanding down the bondo, you'll get a pretty smooth surface, 

STEP 4: Finish It Up

Time to paint.  I started with primer and then used matte finish neon spray paint.  To get a nice shiny finish, I finished it off with glossy finish spray.  To get a deep enough color, it took several coats of the neon spray paint.  

STEP 5: Feed Me Seymour

Wash with soapy water to remove any residue from fabrication.  Next, get your dirt ready and carefully transplant the fly trap.  Be careful not to get bitten when moving. Feed regularly and enjoy.  

16 Comments

giike3 11 years ago

Awesome it looks so real and it is now I always wanted a pirranah planter now i can have one Happy thanks giving

carsam 11 years ago

this is probably a silly question but does this green has a code or name? because it looks like the original green from the game.

Dusk Shadows 11 years ago

OMG i had one of these then he killed everything he saw and i always called him a piranha plant instead of a venus fly trap LOL

Gantman4eva 11 years ago

You forgot to add in your instructable how to cap the bottom. Wasnt quite sure what you used in the picture, but I took a 3" threaded cap and placed it upside down in the tube. This way it still sat flat and a little less dirt is needed. When i glued the cap in place I spun it as the glue dried this ensured a leak free seal. One could also use caulk as well once the cap is in.

Robot Lover 11 years ago

This is really cool! You probably would have been okay to just cover the cracks in the PVC with bondo instead of the whole thing. This saves a lot of bondo, a lot of sanding, and makes the whole thing look much smoother!

poofrabbit 12 years ago

It is very clear I need to make myself one of these! I was going to theme my classroom next year around video games and it would be so fun to have fly traps in the room! Thanks for a great instructable and a fantastic idea!

Grissini 12 years ago

The fly traps are great at dealing with unwanted winged things, a very helpful plant for the summer time. These planters are cheap to make and I got to use Bondo! Glad you enjoyed the ible, good luck in the contest and on the classroom.

poofrabbit 12 years ago

I saw this great 'able on making a bullet bill that would be so cool attached to the side of your wonderful 'able. My thought on my classroom next year is "School is just a game, play to win". I work with little guys and thought the game theme might get them pumped up! When I make mine (I may make a few to put along my line of windows I'll make sure I show ya what I made)

3ddementor 12 years ago

Simple, yet so effective! Well done and good luck!!

The Papier Boy 12 years ago

This type of thing would be perfect to cover the warp tunnel in my backyard.

Grissini 12 years ago

Yes it would. Going to the underworld unexpectedly can really ruin an afternoon. This could be the entrance to a new game for the squirrels?

Grissini 12 years ago

thanks, I really like your afghan. Best of luck!