Turn A Styrofoam Cooler Into A Beautiful Water Feature For Your Garden Using Concrete

Generally cheap and not designed to be used long-term, Styrofoam coolers are typically reserved for short daytrips, distant grocery hauls, and last-minute cold drink storage. A Lifoam 28-quart cooler from Walmart is just under $5, so many folks don't feel too bad about tossing out their cooler once the Styrofoam starts to degrade. But why throw it away when you can repurpose your cooler at the end of the summer, ensuring that foam stays out of the landfills? In fact, your cooler can continue bringing you joy outdoors by acting as a backyard water feature.

A Styrofoam water feature doesn't sound appealing at first, but the cooler is just your base. To make it more durable and aesthetically pleasing, you'll cover it in a specialized cement mix, such as Quikrete Vinyl Concrete Patcher, available at Lowe's. You'll also need Flex Seal Clear Spray, waterproof silicone caulk, and a fountain pump with a pipe or spout long enough to bubble above the surface of the water. When it's all put together, the final result will look nothing like your original cheap cooler. 

Start by drilling or poking a hole in the bottom of your cooler, just wide enough to thread the cord for your water pump through later. If you prefer to use a floating solar fountain, this step is unnecessary, but a submerged pump can lend a more luxe look. Next, mix your concrete and smear it generously around the inside of your cooler, over the rim, and finally around the outside and bottom, giving some time for each side to dry as you reorient the cooler. Allow the concrete to dry according to the instructions, or overnight just to be safe.

@samantha.home.aesthetic

From Styrofoam cooler to old-world garden fountain 🌿 I used concrete patch, watered-down paint, a solar water pump and a little copper pipe to make this dreamy limestone trough—and yes, I let the baby help paint it 😂 Feeling: like an architectural goddess. #diygarden #limestonefountain #backyardgoals #outdoordecor #oldworldstyle #europeangarden #budgetfriendlydiy #upcycleddecor #concretediy #gardenfountain #fauxlimestone #beforeandafter #tiktokhome #gardendiy

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Thread the pump cord through the hole in the bottom of your cooler and seal the hole with a waterproof caulk like DAP Dynaflex 230. At this point, your water feature should be almost ready to fill and use. However, there are a few more steps you can take to enhance its look and make it more durable. The plain gray concrete will look elegant once dry, but if you want a more aged, rustic finish, use watered-down acrylic paint to add gradients, splatters, and drip marks all around the outside. If you prefer a bright color for your modern garden, spray-paint the whole fountain. Cover the inside of the fountain with Flex Seal Clear Spray to make it extra waterproof and prevent leaks. Finally, install your pump at the bottom of the feature and ensure the spout pipe stands higher than the water level. 

In addition to being a cheap and easy way to make your own water feature, this DIY project has some other hidden advantages. The fountain's Styrofoam core makes it deceptively lightweight, so it will be easy to move around and find the perfect location before you fill it. The built-in bubbler design looks expensive, adding a fancy element to your space, and the moving water will also keep mosquitoes out of your water feature.

If you're finding it hard to make the concrete stick to your Styrofoam cooler, you can also saturate old rags with the mix, then plaster them over the Styrofoam surface, working your way around like paper mâché. Once dry, the textured surface of the rags should make it easy to smear more concrete on top. If you're worried that the cooler might tip over, add more concrete at the bottom of the inside to make it heavier.

There's also more than one way to design your cooler water feature. Covering the box with concrete will give you a simple, trough-style look, but before you plaster over it, you can even get creative by cutting up the cooler and repositioning the Styrofoam walls to make uniquely shaped fountains and waterfalls. As for the cooler lid or any leftover bits, check out other ways to repurpose Styrofoam around your home or garden.