How to Make a CD Spindle Water Feature

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I bet you’ve never thought of repurposing an empty CD spindle into a water feature. Neither did I, until the ladies of the IBC challenged us to make something using a spindle. I think they meant a wooden spindle when they thought this one up. And since those things are as scarce as hen’s teeth in my neck of the woods, I had to put all my thinking caps on to come up with something. And I couldn’t be happier with how my CD spindle water feature turned out.

The little water feature is perfect for a tabletop and once you figure out how to make one, it’s a pretty easy repurpose that will add a calm zen-like vibe to any space.

I added a really small fairy garden on top of this one, but you can dolly it up any way you want to. It works equally well as a little stand for my wooden meerkats.

And our buddha statue loves meditating to the sound of water too. Although my hubby says it looks like he’s peeing ;-)

IMHO, if the sound of peeing is this soothing, I would listen to it all day :D

What you need

• 100 Disc cake box spindle
• Large planter at least 35 cm wide (14”) and 16 cm high (6.5”)
• 2 x drip trays 15 cm diameter (6”)
• Submersible water pump with a 10 – 12mm outlet/nozzle (0,5″)
• Marine silicone
• Small pebbles
• Drill
• Paint (optional)

For the fairy topping

• Moss
• Large pebble
• Small fairy house or fairy apartment
• Twig

Right, before we get to the tutorial, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!

How to make a CD spindle water feature

The pump you use for this water feature is probably the most important thing.

The little nozzle or outlet needs to be between 10mm and 12mm (about 1/2″) to fit inside the spindle that the CDs slide on.

Prepping the CD spindle and case for the pump

Use a sharp knife to cut the top of the CD case off. Don’t throw it away we’ll be using it in a little bit.

Test fit the CD case with the spindle on top inside the planter to figure out how much of the casing needs to be trimmed away. Keep in mind that the casing should be a few cm lower than the outside rim of the planter to lessen splash back but still high enough to fit the water pump.

Use a sharp knife to trim the casing down to the right height.

The spindle slips into the hole in the top

So you should have something like this when you’re done. The CD case on the right will house the pump, the spindle will act as a tube to transport the water up to the plastic casing top, which is where you’ll be adding a little fairy garden or meerkats or whatever tickles your fancy :D

Here’s what it would look like inside the planter

A drip tray will be positioned upside down on top of the spindle, which means we need to drill a hole through the drip tray. If your drip tray is terracotta, use masking tape to prevent the drill bit from slipping and mark where to drill.

Slice the top of the CD spindle off so the water flows easier.

Glue the drip tray to the top of the CD casing and spindle top, making sure that the top is level with the bottom. Paint in a color of your choice. Since my planter and drip trays were all terracotta, I used some red primer followed by a rose gold to paint mine.

Wiring up the pump

Remove the plug from the pump.

Drill a hole in the side of the casing and thread the pump wire through the hole.

Reposition the pump and casing inside the planter to check if it’s all level.

Drill another hole in the side of the planter.

Use a silicone sealer and a small plastic lid to close off the drainage holes at the bottom of the planter.

Drill a few small holes in the plastic CD case for water flow.

Thread the pump wire through the hole in the side of the planter and seal with a silicone sealer.

Connecting the pump to the CD spindle

Remove the nozzle from the pump and smear the silicone sealer around the nozzle before inserting it into the bottom of the spindle.

Once the silicone glue dries, attach the pump to the bottom of the spindle.

Place the outer casing, spindle, and pump inside the planter. 

Reconnect the plug and fill the CD spindle water feature with pebbles and water.

Different ways to display and customize the CD spindle water feature

The beauty of this repurpose idea is that the tabletop water feature can be customized to fit into any décor style. Instead of terracotta planters, you can use concrete and paint the spindle using this faux concrete technique to match. Fill with white pebbles to complete the look. Or you can use a black planter and drip trays and leave the spindle au Naturelle.

You can also add so many different things to the top. Like this quick and easy fairy island.

It doesn’t have to be fancy. The little island is just a large stone nestling in a bed of moss with a small fairy apartment and twig glued on top. We added rusty stairs just in case the fairies forget to fly after a late night out ;-)

Or a family of meerkats.

Aren’t they adorable?

Or perhaps a meditating buddha.

Either way, the real magic happens when you switch the CD spindle water feature on :D

And if you can find a waterfall fountain nozzle head you can just pop that inside the hole for an unadorned version. Me, I like changing the top around with the interesting bits we have. How would you customize your repurposed water feature?

If you like the idea of making a CD spindle water feature, don’t forget to pin it for later.

Sharing is caring

Want some more spindle projects? Click on the links below to see what my friends at the IBC came up with for this month’s “Spin me a Spindle” challenge.

• Meegan’s feathered friends are going to love this spindle Bird Perch when they come for a visit. I sure do.
• Can you imagine how lovely these Wind Chimes made by Marie must sound. Such a pretty way to repurpose a few spindles.
• Sara from Birdz of a Feather is crocheting a coral reef and this Sea Pen must be one of my favs so far.
• In my humble opinion this scarily awesome Grim Reaper made by Anita is a must for Halloween.

Oh and if you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered. Disclosure: Clicking on the links below, means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us come up with more amazing craft ideas to share with you ;-)

And if you prefer to buy rather than DIY

And as always, wishing you a lovely, creative week. Thank you for popping in for a visit.