- Making a tabletop fountain begins with a simple design created with a ceramic, glass or metal reservoir and colored glass stones, river rocks or pebbles. Whether your tastes run to a simple Zen inspired tiered structure or a more country design with a small water wheel, making a tabletop fountain is a simple process that you can complete in under an hour. You can find ideas for your fountain in catalogs and design magazines or by visiting home interior websites.
- Materials for making a tabletop fountain can be gathered from your local home improvement store and hobby center as well as from online retailers. Ceramic bowls in hand painted designs work well for a spa like fountain, or use copper planters or clay pots for a natural and traditional style of fountain. You will also need some type of stone filling in your reservoir and hiding the pump mechanism. Online retailers have a wider variety of pumps than you can find at a home improvement store, and you can locate all different types of rock material at garden centers and hobby supply stores. Richly colored glass rocks compliment a painted pot, while river rocks go beautifully with a copper container. Bamboo shoots are perfect for a tabletop fountain. They love the moisture and are striking enough to be the center of attention yet small enough to be part of a grouping. Aside from the containers, the pump, and the rocks, you will need a waterproof adhesive, like liquid nail, to keep the components in place.
- Place your container on the table where it will sit, close to an electrical outlet for the pump. If you're using more than one container, as in a tiered fountain, you will need a stand for each tier. Two brick pieces glued to the bottom of both containers work well for this purpose, but make sure they are the same height. Place the pump in your bottom container, attach the plastic tubing and cover it with rocks. Add the second container, if you have one, glued to the top of the brick pieces. Your top container should be rather shallow and will need a hole in the bottom for feeding the plastic tubing through; seal this with plumber's putty after the tube is in place. Fill in the containers with rocks, bamboo, or some other feature. Fill both pots with water before you turn on the fountain.
