How to Make Ceramic Water Fountains
Make your own ceramic water fountains as a design feature for a patio table or to complement a flower bed in your garden. Select ceramic pottery such as bowls and planters to create your outdoor fountains or embellish plain construction materials, such as wood or brick, with ceramic tiles to create your fountain designs. The basic elements of any fountain include a basin, a pump and a water channel. Assembling the pieces creatively is the foundation for a variety of water feature designs. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 3 half-bricks
- Waterproof construction adhesive
- Ceramic mosaic tiles
- Large ceramic bowl
- Small submersible water fountain pump
- Acrylic paint
- Paint brush
- Fountainhead extension
- Ceramic planter
- Silicone sealant
Instructions
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1
Cover the face, the back, the two longest sides and one of the shortest sides of three half bricks with ceramic mosaic tiles. Glue the tiles to the bricks with waterproof construction adhesive. Do not leave spaces between the ceramic tiles. Allow the adhesive to dry.
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2
Paint the electrical cord attached to a small, submersible fountain pump with acrylic paint to match the inside of a large ceramic bowl. The bowl should be at least 5 inches deep and at least 12 inches wide across the top. Let the paint dry.
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3
Place the submersible fountain pump inside the center of the ceramic bowl. Slide the concave end of the fountainhead extension over the spout protruding from the top of the pump. Stand the tiled half-bricks inside the ceramic bowl, one on each side of the fountain pump and one in front of the fountain pump. Glue the edges of the bricks that are not tiled to the ceramic bowl with waterproof construction adhesive. The mosaic bricks fit around the pump in a U formation.
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4
Extend the power cord from the back of the fountain pump, over the side of the ceramic bowl to the power outlet. Do not plug in the pump.
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5
Pull the fountainhead extension straight up. Fit the center drainage opening of a ceramic planter over the fountainhead. Glue the bottom of the planter to the top edges of the ceramic bricks with waterproof construction adhesive. Seal the opening around the fountainhead with silicone sealant. Allow the adhesive and sealant to dry for at least 24 hours.
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6
Fill the ceramic bowl with water, almost to the rim. Fill the ceramic planter with water, almost to the rim. Plug in the fountain pump. The water will cycle from the bowl through the fountainhead to the planter, and then overflow back into the bowl.
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