Apparaus of making a flower pot or flower pot cover with controlled pleats

An apparatus for forming a sheet of material into a flower pot or flower pot cover, comprising:

• means for forming the sheet of material into the predetermined shape of the flower pot or flower pot cover, comprising:
• a female die having an upper end, a lower end, an opening extending through the upper end and extending a distance into the female die forming a female die surface;
• and
• a male die having an upper end, a lower end, and a male die surface;
• and
• means for moving at least one of the male die and the female die from a storage position spaced a distance from the female die to a forming position wherein the male die is disposed in the opening in the female die and for moving at least one of the male die and the female die from the forming position to the storage position;
• and
• means for forming pleats in the sheet of material whereby the flower pot or flower pot cover includes pleats on the flower pot or flower pot cover comprising at least one recessed area formed in the male die surface with the remaining portion of the male die surface forming at least one mating area, the mating areas on the male die being shaped to matingly engage adjacent portions of the female die surface when the male die is disposed in the female die and positioned therein in the forming position, the sheet of material being disposable between the male die and the female die and the sheet of material being positioned between the male die and the female die in the forming position whereby pleats are formed in the flower pot or flower pot cover, the portions of the sheet of material disposed between the mating areas on the male die and adjacent portions of the female die surface being overlapped to form overlapping folds, portions of the sheet of material disposed between the recessed areas of the male die and adjacent portions of the female die surface forming substantially non-sealed areas substantially without any overlapping folds, the portions without overlapping folds cooperating with the overlapping folds to form pleats.