How to Design an Indoor Waterfall or Fountain

Bring powerful water energy into your living room with a dramatic or delicate pot fountain that is simple to build and helps to humidify the space. The size of the fountain depends on its location. It can be an impressive focal point that sits on the floor or occupies its own pedestal and you can use large pots, basin and pump for it. Alternatively, it can be a tabletop version that takes mini-everything: small pots, pump and basin and smaller decorative stones. To make the fountain, you simply assemble the pieces. The only necessary "construction" is trimming the copper water delivery pipe to the correct height.

Thin sheet of plastic
Sheet of felt
Sharp scissor or shears
Waterproof glue
Copper or glazed ceramic tray
Small pump
2 glazed ceramic pots with drain holes
Decorative stones
Copper pipe
Hand saw
Liquid silicone
Bubbler fountain head

Instructions

- 1
  Trim a sheet of thin plastic and a sheet of felt to cover the bottom of a deep copper or glazed ceramic tray. Glue the two sheets together and then glue them to the tray with the felt-side down.
- 2
  Place a small pump with a copper water delivery pipe in the center of the tray. Run the pump's electric cord over the side. Cover the pump with an upside down glazed ceramic pot that has a wide drain hole. The pipe will protrude through the hole. Fill in the tray to within an inch or so of the top with decorative river rocks.
- 3
  Set a glazed ceramic pot with a drain hole in the bottom over the pipe and on the upended pot. It isn't necessary for the pots to match but they should coordinate. Trim the copper pipe so it is slightly lower than the rim of the pot and seal the pipe opening or drain hole in the pot with silicone around the pipe.
- 4
  Top the copper pipe with a small, bubbler fountainhead. Secure the bubbler fountainhead to the copper pipe with silicone. Let the silicone dry hard.
- 5
  Fill the pot three-quarters of the way with the decorative stones. Pour water slowly into the upper pot, watching to see how much spills over into the basin below. When the pot is full, fill the basin with water to cover the rocks.
- 6
  Plug in and turn on the pump. Check for any water splashes or spills. The water should be channeled from the basin up through the pipe to fill the pot, bubble out the top and spill over into the basin again. Keep the water level high enough so you don't risk burning out the pump.

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