DIY Flowing Waterfalls Moss Book Nook (Living Library)

A few weeks ago I got this clear magazine holder. Obviously it's meant to hold magazines and that sort of thing, but I think there's more we could do with it. Perhaps something with a waterfall, that's what I have in mind at least. To get the water running I'll need a pump. It'll be placed in the back here, but it should be separate from everything else. A piece of expanded PVC board is a great option for a partition. It's really easy to work with and cut down to whatever size is needed. This is a little better. Even so, water must be able to pass freely into the pump. Simple enough, I'll just create a window for it. This could work, but it requires a barrier to keep fine particles out. That's where this window screen comes into play. With a little bit of super glue, I secured it along the back side of the opening. While the glue dried, I cut out a few smaller pieces of PVC board. I glued these together to create an overflow box. I also drilled a hole in the top of the main board for the pump's return. I secured the previous piece over top of this. The result is a barrier with a slot for water to pass through and an overflow box. I'll secure this as far back into the container as possible without obstructing the pump. I applied silicone along the edges. Then, I pressed it into the appropriate location. I smoothed it out with my finger and left it to cure overnight. Back the next day, everything is set up and looking good. As I said earlier, I want to create a waterfall. I thought through various solutions on how to make this happen. I decided that carving it out of foam would allow for maximum creative freedom. I recently received samples of cora foam from my friends over at Duna USA. That's what I'll be using for this one. Before I begin carving this though, I'll sketch out a basic idea of what I want. I'm imagining a rocky wall in the jungle which combines elements from a fan waterfall and tiered waterfall. I went on to sketch a really rough idea of how I want this to look. What I want consists of a rocky face with an array of cascading waterfalls and mossy bits on the sides. I don't know how well of a picture this paints, but I can see it now. Let's get to carving. To carve this out, I've selected a razor blade and a kitchen knife. I marked for the appropriate width on the foam to start. Then I used the knife to cut along this line. Now I have a piece that fits into the container. That said, I have to account for the overflow box. I cut out a space for it and now it's a perfect fit. From there, I made a direction to follow as I began carving. I went around with the knife and created the basic shape of the stones. I'll remove a lot more as I add details, but this is a great foundation to start with. I used the razor blade to do most of the carving from here. I went and scored the entire surface of the foam to loosen things up. Then I went back with the blade and added the fine details. I created grooves, divots, and gashes all over the surface. As I did, I made sure my technique was consistent. I also periodically brushed off the debris so that I knew exactly what I was doing. This all took about an hour, but I think it was well worth the effort. The only thing though, is that I need to create an opening in the top for the water. I removed a section right where the waterfall begins. I want to include individual stones in the bottom as well. I cut out a piece of foam and carved them to match everything else. I made these for additional depth and because the background isn't as tall as the entire container. These rocks hide the empty area while allowing the water to easily pass through. With that all complete, I can finally add some paint. I'll follow the same procedure as usual with white tintable drylock. I took the drylock and mixed in some black concrete pigment. I used this as my base layer. This coating is very important because it will get into all of the crevices and establish detail. I painted all of the pieces and let it dry overnight. Here it is now. It's looking better than before, but it will really pop with additional coats of paint. I mixed up some gray and loaded up the brush. I lightly applied it over the raised areas with a dry brush technique. This alone really brought out the details. Once it dried, I went back with an even lighter gray to add the highlights. The result looks incredible if you ask me. I love the amount of detail I was able to achieve and I can't wait to see it with some plants and other elements. For now, I'll secure these to the appropriate surfaces. I applied silicone to the PVC board. Then I pressed the foam into it. I put a dab on the small stones as well and placed them accordingly. I left it to cure overnight. I love how this turned out. It has some great detail and will look awesome with plants growing on the sides. I considered a few solutions to make that happen. The material I felt was best suited for this is cargo mesh fabric. This stuff wicks water extremely well and thus creates a nice growing surface for plants. This works best if you fold it over on itself. Anyway, I'll cut out strips that I'll secure to the sides. I put down some silicone to start. Then I went back and put down a few dabs of hot glue. Since this dries quickly, it will keep the fabric flat while the silicone cures. I did this in small increments until all the fabric was secure. You'll see here that I draped the excess in the back behind the rocks. I did this so that it can wick water from the reservoir. I let it dry. Planting this will be quite simple, but before then, I'll include driftwood. I have an array of small pieces here from various types of driftwood. To keep it easy, I locked the branches in with hot glue. I simply put a dab between the contact points. As I did, I tried my best to keep a consistent and flowing direction. These look cool, but I'll also be able to use them to wedge moss in place. I also gave it a spray down to clean things off. With that addressed, I'll add the moss. I've selected badge moss, hair cap moss, hypno moss, and thread moss. To add these in the areas up front, I had to conceal the fabric. That's easier said than done though. I had to use a little bit of super glue to lock them in. Otherwise, I was able to wedge patches within the various elements. As I did, I mixed them all together to get nice variation in texture. The main thing I had to consider though, was to ensure they remain in contact with the fabric. I also put a patch over top of the waterfall's entrance. After all of that, I went back and sprayed down the moss. I always love how moss ties everything together, don't you? Let's go back to the pump. I'll outfit it with this 3 eighth inch rigid airline tube. You'll see here that I bent it earlier, so it fits perfectly in the space. The hole that leads into the overflow is also a perfect fit. Now it's ready for substrate. I've selected aqua soil, limestone sand, and fine white sand. I begin with the aqua soil and added a layer near the back. This will provide nutrients to the plants. I capped it off with limestone sand to tie into the look of the carved stones. Lastly, I sprinkled on some white sand. This adds finer textures that help create better definition within the scape. From there, I blacked out the sides with window tint film. I sprayed down the acrylic with water, situated the film, and used a squeegee to remove the excess. I went back and cut off the remaining film. Another necessary component is the light. I've selected this cool magnetic gooseneck light. This is nice because it can stick to the back quite easily. I'm all about cord management as well. A few command strips are more than welcome to tidy things up. As I looked at it, something didn't look quite right. I decided to add a few more branches to the foreground and the water feature. I also want to add plants in this area, including I placed these within a few crevices to add some interest. The last thing I have to do is give it a water test. It was a little slow to start. I adjusted the pump slightly and liked what I saw. There you have it, my new waterfall book nook. I really like how it turned out and it was pretty easy to make. I'm glad that I experimented with different techniques and carved the background. In my opinion, it's an awesome way to add some life to a bookshelf and showcase moss. I want to know what you think though. Let me know down in the comments. That's all I have for you in this one. As always, I hope you enjoyed the video and learned something new. Until next time SerpaSquad, take care and peace.