SERENITY FOUNTAIN MAKING

Making fountains out of natural materials is not only a good way to de-stress, but can also be a potential money-spinning hobby.

The market for tabletop fixtures made up of natural elements - known popularly as Zen fountains - is growing, judging by the increasing number of people leading hectic lifestyles and looking for ways to de-stress.

Start-up capital is P700 for fountain, and time to finish is 1 hour. Some of the materials can be bought at local gardening stores. Bamboo fixtures may be made or bought ready-made. To cut cost, buy materials from local garden stores outside the malls where space rental is low. Buy decorative stones in bulk.

Materials Needed:

• Oriental pot with no holes
• Transparent plastic tube
• Design fixture made of bamboo
• Submersible pump
• Chinese bamboo plant in a small pot
• Three packs of river stones
• Small clay jar
• Tap of soft water
• Scissors

Getting Started

1. Measure the length of plastic tube where the submersible pump will be attached. Do this by putting the plastic tube inside the bamboo and then cutting it to size. The submersible pump can then be attached to the end of the plastic tube. Make sure to adjust the lever on the pump to your desired speed.
2. Put the bamboo and the submersible pump inside the oriental pot. Decorate the container with plants in smaller pots. For this project, the Chinese bamboo plant in a pot was used. Cover the pump, the plant, and the transparent tube with stones.
3. Pour water into the oriental basin until all its contents are submerged. Add embellishments to the top of the bamboo fixture where the pump was attached. The small clay jar can serve as receptacle for water that flows from the bamboo fixture where the pump is attached.
4. After assembling the fountain, plug the submersible pump to see if the device is working. Water should be flowing smoothly from the bamboo to the small jar, then back to the bigger basin. The Zen fountain is then ready to be displayed for personal use or for sale.

How Much Will You Make

Take on 10% of the total production cost to account for labor, and then add a 30-peso markup to come up with a selling price of roughly P950 per fountain.

source: Michelle Modelo, www.entrepreneur.com.ph, photos by Jun Pinzon