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A bamboo fountain is fun to design and looks absolutely gorgeous.  An aesthetically designed Bamboo Fountain adds warmness and relaxation to its surroundings.   In addition to the beauty, they have cultural significance as well.  In feng shui lore, a bamboo is considered to be a symbol of friendship and sustainability.

It is fairly easy to design a bamboo fountain – Here’s a simple and easy-to-implement guide on designing your own bamboo water fountain.

Materials Needed:

• A Regular-sized submersible water pump with adjustable water flow regulator.
• A saw to cut bamboo, & a sharp knife.
• 2 to 3 Rubber Bands
• Bamboo Spout (Size: 1” diameter, 24” long)
• Rocks and Pebbles
• Flexible vinyl tube that fits the opening of the pump spout.  Generally, a pump spout is about 10mm in diameter, so getting a vinyl tube with 10 mm diameter tube would suffice.

Step-by-Step Guide To Design Your Bamboo Spout Fountain

Bamboo spouts may have rough edges and split ends.  Take safety precautions by cleaning up the bamboo before using it.

Step 1: Divide the Bamboo Water Spouts in three different pieces by cutting it.  Cut the spout in such a way that one piece is about 8” in length, and the other two pieces are 6” and 4” respectively.

Step 2: Use saw to cut the upper end of bamboo edge at an angle as shown in the picture below:

The purpose of using a sharp saw is to minimize the shredding of bamboo.  After cutting the upper ends of all the 3 bamboo spouts, use melted wax and marine varnish to seal and polish the outer surface of bamboo.  This would help you avoid the white circles that appear on surface of bamboo.

Step 3: Cut open the growth rings in bamboo spouts using a sharp knife.  Do so in such a way that you don’t cut your fingers.  Once you have cleared up the growth rings from the inside of bamboo spouts, you would have created hollow bamboo spouts.   The clearing of growth rings should be done so that there is sufficient space for water to easily flow through it.   Typical bamboo spouts need about half a inch of diameter for the water to flow through it without too much pressure.

Step 4: Using the flexible vinyl tubing, connect the tallest bamboo spout to the pump opening.  Make sure it is snuggly.  It is very important to make sure that the bamboo spout fits snuggly to the pump opening.  If the connection is not good enough, consider using glue to tighten the connection.

Step 5: Fill the bowl with river rocks and pebbles.  Start filling the bowl with smaller rocks on the bottom and the larger ones on the top.   Now pour enough water in bowl so that it is filled without overflowing the bowl.   Plug the other two bamboo spouts into the rocks in such a way that water would slide through both of them before finally tricking into the bowl.   Support the bamboo spouts with pebbles to make this arrangement possible.

Step 6: Connect all the three bamboo spouts using the rubber bands and then tie them together with a delicate ribbon or a string.  Now it’s time to test your design.  Plug the ac adapter of pump into an electrical outlet and turn it on.  Observe the water flow.    If your spouts and pump are well connected, the water should trickle onto the other two spouts from the tallest bamboo spout and then eventually pour into the bowl.   If you feel the need to increase or decrease the water flow, adjust the water flow regulator of the submersible water pump.

Consider adding a bonsai or a bamboo plant if you want to add “aliveness” to your bamboo fountain.

This self-designed bamboo fountain is your spiritual gateway to the natural world.  It adds a touch of serenity and spirituality to your life.  It’s a perfect relaxation tool and makes an aesthetic meditative element.

Resources:

Amy is a Tabletop Fountain artist.  To browse stunning collection of bamboo spout fountains and other aesthetic water fountains, please visit the Tabletop Fountain Store.

Reference:  Create Your Own Tabletop Fountains – Paris Mannion.

Photography Credit: Christine Polomsky