If the collander gives too much wick, how about these baskets from Dollar Tree?  I'm thinking cut the top 1/3 off of 2 and stack them with landscape or other screening material between them.  Haven't tried it yet, but looks like they should fit quite nicely.

 
http://www.dollartree.com/household/storage-organization/Round-Plastic-Storage-Baskets-11-/500c541c541p177485/index.pro?method=search

James and Steve,
  I was messing around with the SIP that Frank described in the original post.  I cut the plastic rope handle from the inner buckets instead of just laying them flat.  I nearly threw them away, not having any use for them, but I put them aside for some unknown reason.  (OK, it's because I'm a packrat and I figure I'd use them for something eventually.)  A few days later it hit me...these plastic rope handles can be placed between the inner and outer bucket.  This creates a nice gap between the two buckets and allows the water to fill quite nicely.  The added benefit is there's nothing to throw out and nothing more to buy!
Jim

That's a good idea - thanks for the tip!  So far I made just one of the SIPs as described in the initial post from Frank but haven't set up a fig in it yet.  I'm waiting for it to stop snowing - more falling as we speak :(

This has been a great topic.  Thanks for all the good information

I have really learned so much from this topic. My husband made me 2 from plastic pickle jars yesterday!

When he was making them for me I couldn't help but wonder if they could be made somehow using the 1 gal trade pots. I've got sooo many of them, I just don't have the imagination to come up with how to do it. Or is there info already on it?

Thanks in advance