May 18, 2011

My Homemade Patio Fountain

The last couple of years I've been on the lookout for a fountain for our patio.  My top priority was to find something that created a soothing, bubbling brook sound.  I found several fountains that were pretty but they were as quiet as could be and others that sounded great but were way overpriced.  So last year I decided to make my own.  It's not the fanciest fountain out there, but it makes the best fountain sound!  Perfect for summer evenings on the patio.  I meant to blog about it last year but never got around to it.  I snapped some pictures yesterday while I was reassembling it for this year.

Here's what you need:

Large pot
Bucket
Fountain Kit (got mine at Lowe's)
Hardware Cloth
River Rocks


1. Drill holes in the bottom of the large pot.  
This will allow rain water to drain out.

Stanley is such a camera hog!  He tried to weasel his way into every picture.
2. While wearing leather gloves (super important!!), measure and cut a square piece of 
hardware cloth to fit on top of the large pot.


3. Place bucket in large pot, then bend the hardware cloth until it fits properly (again, wearing gloves is a must!).  
Now cut a square opening in the middle of the wire mesh for the fountain head.


4. Place fountain in the bucket and adjust height to desired level.


5.  The fountain kit should come with several different nozzles.
Pick your favorite and securely attach it to the extension tube.


6. Fill the bucket with water and place mesh on top.  
The water level affects the sound of the fountain.  I usually keep mine about 2/3 full.


7. Wash the rocks off and place them on top of the wire mesh.

Then plug in your fountain, close your eyes and pretend you're sitting next to a bubbling creek in Colorado.
That's what I do anyway ;)


Here are some pictures from last year.



Linked to: Thrilling Thursday @ Paisley Passions, Strut Your Stuff @ Somewhat Simple
Outdoor Ideas @ Centsational Girl, Show & Tell Friday, Finding Fabulous, Think Pink Sundays @ Flamingo Toes,Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style


 

55 comments:

Maria Babin said...

what a fantastic idea! and that dog is so darn cute! your photos are gorgeous as always!

Renée said...

FABULOUS. I'm thinking I can do this one!

Samara Link said...

How cool! That's a great idea. I'm impressed! Thank you for sharing.

Darby Hawley said...

This looks so awesome!

Beverly {Flamingo Toes} said...

This is so cool Emily!! Who knew that making your own fountain was so easy?? I love it with your flowers, it makes a really pretty grouping.
Stanley cracks me up. Camera hog hahahaha. ;)

chris said...

What a super way to dress up a patio! I may just have to try this.

Deborah@Green Willow Pond said...

I've been wanting to make a fountain for a couple of years. Thanks for the tutorial! This would be perfect on my deck.

Vijay Prakash Shukla said...

Excellent overview, it pointed me out something I didn’t realize before. I should encourage for your wonderful work. I am hoping the same best work from you in the future as well. Thank you for sharing this information with us.

Lori said...

Stanley is smiling, so he liked the project.

Jen said...

My family got me a fountain kit for Mothers day...now I just need to find the container/vase I like so that we can get it up and running. I love yours and how it goes with the other planters...so lovely!

Brenda Pruitt said...

I've made one for inside before. But I need to do one for outdoors. This is a great idea!
Brenda

Unknown said...

Your fountain is adorable. I bet it sounds lovely too.
Traci

Sallie @ Texas Cottage said...

I love your fountain and your camera hog! The fountain looks great beside the pots of flowers. Great idea!
Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment.

Ashley Nelson said...

Awesome idea!!! Love the dog in the background showing its teeth lol

corners of my life said...

It looks so easy. Thanks for the detailed instructions.

Tracy Huffman said...

very cool fountain and how CUTE is Stanley!! Thank you for stopping by simplicity-tracy.blogspot.com! I am now a follower :)

Jessa said...

Love it! I was thinking of doing something similar earlier this week, but I want a smaller fountain for the table top. It looks great!

Jessi said...

I am SOOO excited...I've had the same dilemma of wanting a fountain, but not wanting to pay the big bucks!! I'm totally going to copycat you...THANKS for posting this!!

a quiet life said...

great idea, i have got the perfect place for this little cutie :)

Joani said...

What a great idea. Thanks for sharing. Have a great weekend.

GLENDA CHILDERS said...

Hopping over from Censational Girls Outdoor Party. Hope you enjoy my 'patio time' post. (link #205)


Thanks for the great tutorial on your cool fountain. How fun to have made it yourself.

Fondly,
Glenda

lisbonlioness said...

LOVING it! But I actually envision this little beauty in my living room, as the soft sound of water always has a good impact on my mood- and I bet the cats would love it. Thanks for the tutorial, I've got it bookmarked!

Jen S. said...

I LOVE this idea! Very cool :)
PS--I ♥ the pictures of Stanley...he's SOOO CUTE!

Sonny G said...

Brillaint~!
thanks so much for the detailed instructions and I think my lil Buffy pomgirl has developed a crush on Stanley:)


xoxoxo
Sonny

La Vie Quotidienne said...

What a great idea! Thank you for sharing. I think I might be able to do this...it's so nice.

Heather said...

I might have just found a Memorial Day weekend project! I've been wanting an inexpensive fountain for ages. Thank you for sharing!!

Ceekay-THINKIN of HOME said...

Brillant! I would love to try this sometime! Thanks for the instructions!

LindyLambChopsNZ said...

Just recently purchased a small solar water fountain ! You have just inspired me to get it set up. Some lovely river stones locally which I already use to conserve water for the garden pots, keeps them moist. Thank you for sharing your wonderful idea. I love it! Linda (New Zealand)

Benny said...

It looks so easy to do. Thanks for the detailed instructions.

interior design pictures

Debbiedoos said...

That is so awesome Emily. Very creative, and it looks great.

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

Love this idea, Emily. Great tutorial. I love to listen to water. Thanks for sharing this at my party.

Janie said...

I just found you on Savvy Southern Style. I Love your blog. I always wanted to make a fountain for the back year...great tutorial.

Emreen said...

Love fountains... Its always great to hear the rippling sound of water....

Love the flowers in the garden and your fountain...!!

Unknown said...

I'm going to try this out myself Thanks for inspiring me
KAT

Ana said...

Hi Emily,
The fountain turned out beautifully. Love it! I've been wanting to make my own but really didn't know where to start...Thanks for the step by step. Can't wait to try it out. Have a wonderful day.

Hugs and Kisses,
♥Ana

Amanda said...

i love this! I'm going to feature it on my blog some time :)

alissa {33shadesofgreen} said...

I love your fountain - you made it look so easy to make! I have to say, Stanley really steals the show in your photos! In that second photo of him you can tell that he knows he's getting his picture taken. Too funny!

Mrs. Cherry Heart said...

Ou I love this idea. Its so much easier then what I was thinking {digging a pond with water fall}
I am going to try this...one for each porch to drowned out the street noise!

Thank you
Hugs,
Dolly

fishy said...

Hi..fountain looks great...Could you please tell me the name of the container fountain kit that you used.. Thank you

Emily {Frilly Details} said...

@ fishy: The brand is Smart Pond. I purchased my kit at Lowe's.

corners of my life said...

Thanks for the idea

http://cornersofmylife.blogspot.com/2011/07/fountain.html

Cricket said...

Hey- super cool idea!

You've given me inspiration for how to do this on a larger scale. I'm running with your idea, and turning it into a pondless recirculating birdbath fountain. Thanks for posting your creation!

Cheers!

Anonymous said...

My husband made me a fountain using your tutorial. I love it ! Thanks for posting.

Anonymous said...

Could you please explain why the holes would be put in the large pot.....why would I want water running out of that pot. I understand if the holes are in the bucket. Help! I really want to make one. Thanks!

Marianne said...

Thank you, thank you for a genuinely easy and fun project! I'm sitting by my babbling brook right now - a great start to my summer sanctuary!

Rischa said...

Thanks for this tutorial!! My husband and I redid the front of our house and now we have a fountain out there! :-)

Unknown said...

where did you run the wire? Is there a hole in the outer pot for it?

Unknown said...

I was looking for some cheap outdoor solar water fountains, thanks for the tips, hopefully I'll find the right deal.

Dima said...

look another interesting homemade fountain http://fountainsphoto.info/2013/08/homemade-fontains/

Unknown said...

I know you originally posted this in 2011 but I only just now found it! THANK YOU for leaving this blog and 'how to' posted. I absolutely LOVE the way Stanley photo-bombed almost every picture…Having him in the photos made me want to make this fountain even more. I am on task today and hopefully will have it completed before end of day…Thank you for the wonderful idea!! L Brooks, Mesa, Arizona

Meme said...

I followed your directions and the results are even better than I expected. I first used a solar fountain, but the water stopped flowing with every cloud - duh!

Unknown said...

Love your idea! One question, what did you do with the cord?

Unknown said...

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