Easy DIY Concrete Decor / Art :: for Every Occasion in 5 Steps

I'm ready to go back to my home town area...I'm in Maine and have been in New England for just about 15 years.

This entry is going to be my start ( along with a mysterious collaboration ) to get to my destination as I miss being close to family and friends from long ago - as much as my kids could use all of the familiar things I actually grew up with like a big juicey CHEESESTEAK!!! Sorry New England - its not called a steak and cheese - facts are facts.

I'm going to keep this bio short and be straight to the point - I want this to be made - compete for the art and the sport and the economic value of a genuine hand made work of art, a very personalized concrete craft and with a little practice can be your own personal art for any occasion you see fit.

And.....should this be beyond your tool shed - I'm placing hyperlinks to my Facebook Page as a landing zone for this art, as well as supplies, and the ordinary traditional vinyl and timberworks that just about everyone on Et$y and Eb@y is selling these days.

This art is a very fun mix between a true hand crafted wood sign carving with a router (NOT a CNC maching), stencil making, digital svg creation and the science of concrete with the added bonus of carpentry.

If you follow very closely - YOU CAN DO THIS, TOO!

For this contest I have made trivets and a plaque.

+ I like the beach ( not the ocean ) so seashells it is, just 2.

+I have a husband and all 5 of his kids are by me and me alone. So after 26 years of being a family - you bet your butt we are in it for LIFE! I really LOVE that MAN! 1 Plaque! We should get a medal, oh wait, we did last year when we got the SILVER! JEEZ - that means I'm sort of old.

+1 snow flake - I have seen more snow in a decade and a half to last 10 lifetimes. Can we say "MIDLANTIC"?

+1 His & Hers Browning symbol that seems to be customizable and not an official logo and without licensing.

Disclaimer -- If this logo is licensed, please note I am using this for my personal collection - only !

I have always LOVED this symbol and really love the way this one and ALL of the others have turned out just in time for this competition.

I hope to kick all entrants butts in this competition and in the name of commerce, as well as comradery - all entrants should feel the same - share and compete with a self and a community purpose.

I have brought my very own CRAFTER'S CONCRETE into this competition from my very own storefront.

The hyperlinks are to Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwDFb-kWE3D455p2-y...

and will consistently demonstrate my ever growing art decor and the smooth workable strength of my very own custom concrete mix. Simply named "Crafterz MUDD".

Concrete is, of course; Portland Cement, sand, aggregate and water.

My mix is more of a HPC ( High Performance Concrete) as it has an admixture.

- label - ADDITIVE --AKA - trade secret.

This type of concrete is a high strength, fast setting concrete.

Forms can be removed in under an hour - my best hand mix for a 1kg project was just about 35 minutes with forms off and a displayable product for review was available.

Cue hyperlink for youtube video Time Stamp of record setting speed of form removal access via YouTube Channel home page above.

Facebook Store...I just can't do the Et$y Store thing...just can't.

https://wwww.facebook.com/crafty.queen.104 where I started with a vinyl machine for cutting paper boxes.

I'd very much like to thank "Instructables" for this amazing opportunity to publish this demonstration as I crave for the competition to blossom to fruition in an all out 'makers gotta make' duel within these instructions and would be honored should this style of making is the next passion for decor.

It's easy if you can muster up the courage....I do like taming the mean raw power Router....let's begin!

1) Wood - for forms and mold. Ordinary Example (4) 3/4" thick x 2 1/2"w x 8"L pieces for the form cut to shape desired and 1 board for the mold (this will have your stencil on it) Example 3/4"thick x 5"w x 7"L

I used lath from previous renovations in my home and Northern White Cedar from my lumber pile.

2) Cement or Concrete fast setting, slow setting - just run of the mill anything that will harden like cement or concrete, for example Plaster of Paris or the like.

3) Paper, vinyl, or any stencil design you can make or purchase.

4) Drill & screws or the old hammer and nail - which ever you have available within safe reason.

5) A router with a 90 degree V-Carve Bit, supposing that a dremel or any carving device would suffice as a substitute should a router not be available or desired. You could use a CNC - then it would not classify as a hand made work of art as intended.

6) Tape Measure

7) Spray Glue (Hairspray as a substitute)

8) Mold Release (Vaseline/WD 40, etc)

9) Furniture Polish Spray ( Pledge works just fine)

10) Saw - any kind to cut 4 pieces for the form and cutting your mold blank ( your stencil goes on it)

11) Safety equipment Ear Protection, Eye Protection and Respiratory Protection

12) AT ALL TIMES CONSTRUCTION GRADE SAFETY EQUIPMENT IS TO BE USED - CONCRETE AND CARPENTRY WORK OF ANY KIND IS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS TO THE UNPREPARED AND UNDERPROTECTED.

A stencil can be a simple as writing "I LOVE YOU" on the blank board.

Did you cut your board yet, it's in the supplies 'ya know. That is step 2 don't rush.

Your stencil or hand drawing ---- be sure to know that it NEEDS to MIRROR.

Yes it must look like it can be read in a mirror. Not easy if your not accustomed to such backwardness.

Silly, maybe, but a mirrored scenerio was an adjusment for me.

Your mirrored idea should be prepared to the sized of your blank board and with the spray glue listed in the supplies you should be able to spray the appropriate side down that you need and your will be ready to rev up your router and produce a mirrored carving in a fashion a kin to the plaque i have picture within this step.

Caution: this is not a lesson in wood carving sign, I do have supplies and give lessons via Zoom and other platforms.

If you need to measure and cut your blank board...now would be that time.

If you have acheived the desired dimension for you board, simply glue your design with the spray glue in the appropriate fashion - MIRRORED.

The attached photo is an example of what a mirrored and glued stencil could look like after routing.

Grab that router and put a drop of furniture polish (Pledge) on the router base bottom (which better not be plugged in yet or at least not yet).

Install your V-Bit ( if you need a lesson on router tool installation or operation - STOP HERE!)

CAUTION - PROPER TRAINING FOR POWER TOOLS ADVISED

If you are familiar with a router and you bit is installed - set the depth to a minimum clearance and test on a scrap piece ( AKA the other side of you blank with the stencil on it) and get a close match to the smallest area you would pass with you router blade.

If you plugged in your router and tested the depth on the back of your board - you sure had better put on a dust mask, safety glasses and excellent quality hearing protection.

Happy Routing - Your about to make a mold for your concrete art!

Congrats!

Your blank board - a mirrored wood carved sign - is now you mold for your art.

Grab your saw, tape measure and something I forgot to list in the supplies - A PENCIL!

...and your 4 pieces of wood.

Cut the pieces to form a square around you board.

Get you drill and screws - assemble in a fashion to the demensions to your specific mold board.

This rectangle has the details in the picture as to the formation of the 4 form boards around the mold board.

2 screws on each side was sufficient directly in to the mold board without the need for caulk or glue.

This is not a lesson on how to mix concrete.

This is a step, again, not a lesson.

As per mixing instructions of your own personal choice of cement or concrete will absolutely vary per project.

The above project of HOME was about a 2 lb. project (closer to 1kg) of my Crafterz MUDD.

and just about 150 grams of water.

All of my custom mix projects are calculated to weight not volume.

So if you have your mix prepared accordingly - applying your mold release before you mix is a good practice.

I have mixed and forgot to apply the mold release only to waste material.

If you have poured, cover your project with plastic and wait as per instructions on your bag of material.

If you are at the end of your wait time - simply unscrew the form boards and gently pry apart for your reveal.

If your mold release was successful - you just might be able to pry your artwork from the mold board with your bare hands - no tools required.

Above photo has one with and one without a mold release. To err is human.

Again, I would like to thank all who entered, as well as, Instructables for this opportunity within this platform.