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Hypertufa is an artificial stone ( Named for "tufa," a natural, porous limestone), used to make light-weight, weather-proof garden ornaments and pots. It's sold at fancy garden stores, but you can make it your very own self:
Have a Hypertufa Party!
A couple of weeks ago, I decided to try making hypertufa pots with a couple of my crazier, more experimental friends. Fall is a good time to make hypertufa, as the pots need to cure in a couple stages before you use them.
First, I did some research for the best hypertufa recipe, the best hypertufa videos, (here's another good hypertufa video) and I looked at lots and lots of hypertufa photos online for inspiration. We adapted our own procedure from the version found here on The Artistic Garden.
Photos were all taken in the Almostgotit Hypertufa Factory!
Hypertufa Recipe
- 1 part Portland cement (NOT concrete or quikrete!!)
- 1½ parts peat
- 1½ parts perlite (or vermiculite – heavier, adds a bit of sparkle
HOW MUCH? Two 90-lb bags of Portland cement, 10-15 lbs of perlite, and 2 cubic feet of peat moss made about 10 medium-sized planters (14-20" diameter bowls)
PREP & SAFETY
• Wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty It's also recommended to launder your work clothes right after you're done, and take off your shoes before entering house. I didn't get as dirty as I thought. An apron worked well... lugging things around got my front dirty.
• Wear a fine-particle dust mask & waterproof gloves The dust from any 'tufa mixture is very caustic and definitely can damage your lungs if you breathe it in. Once you've got everything mixed and have added the water, then you can take off your mask. Ingredients are caustic & not skin-friendly. Wear heavy-duty rubber dishwashing or rubber work gloves when mixing dry ingredients and when handling the wet mixture. Another caution: even handling hypertufa that has cured enough to unmold but is still damp can cause skin burns. Disposable latex gloves work great when applying and detailing hypertufa, allowing you more dexterity than the heavy gloves used for mixing.
• Last but not least ... yes you should wear safety goggles! We didn't. Bad, bad, bad. Additional hints:
- If you're mixing up a large quantity of one of these hypertufa recipes, divide the mixture into smaller batches to make it easier to blend.
- Measure the dry ingredients into a large container such as a wheelbarrow. Use a shovel, concrete trowel, garden hand trowel or similar for mixing. WE GAVE UP AND USED OUR HANDS. EASIER!
- Make sure all ingredients are thoroughly blended before adding water. Mix and blend more than you think you need to!
- Add The Water Slowly ... You Can Always Add More WORDS TO LIVE BY.
- Next, take a 10 minute break from the whole mixing process. Let the water "soak in" a bit.
- Test your mixture for the proper consistency (cottage cheese consistency) by taking a handful of mix. Squeeze it into a ball that will hold together when you open your hand. A little bit of water can slightly ooze between your fingers. Remember that this mixture must be able to cling to your mold and stay put and not start sagging.
- How do you know what is enough or not enough water? The APPROXIMATE amount of water needed MAY or MAY NOT be 1 to 1-1/2 parts water (in relation to the dry ingredients "parts"). Be on the safe side, slowly add your water to your thoroughly blended dry mix. Add water until you have a damp mixture. One that is not crumbly but also not oozing with water.
MAKING A HYPERTUFA BOWL
- We found it easiest to cover the exterior of a bowl. Line or cover your wood, plastic, or metal bowl with a large plastic garbage bag.
- For a portable work surface, put another plastic bag over a piece of scrap plywood (this bag can later be turned inside-out to cover your finished bowl while it's drying!
- Turn your plastic-covered bowl upside down on your plastic-covered work surface so you're able to cover the bottom of the bowl with hypertufa. Begin building the mixture around the base of the mold, gradually building up the sides and over the top. Pat and press, pat and press the mixture as you work along. The desired thickness of 'tufa is about 1½ inches for SMALL containers.
- Make sure the corners are as thick as the sides. You don't want weak areas in
