Cement as a craft? heck yeah!

[msunnerstood]

Ive been making things with Cement for a while now. It's a tricky craft. Cement-to-water ratios change depending on the project, Then there are the dreaded air bubbles and trying to prevent them. So far I've made gnome and penguin figurines, jars with lids, and coasters. My latest cement obsession is Magnets. Poured into molds, painted, then attached strong magnets to them. I made 20 sets and now Im looking for new molds, I may need help...

 

[KiwiMoose]

I have toyed with the idea of making cement 'rocks' to paint - so that I can get them symmetrical. But never did it because I knew it would be a slippery slope...

 

[msunnerstood]

I have toyed with the idea of making cement 'rocks' to paint - so that I can get them symmetrical. But never did it because I knew it would be a slippery slope...

It is, but this is what I do. I try something and then fly down the rabbit hole for weeks, then its the next thing..

 

[dmcgee5034]

Those are toooooooo cuttttteeeeeeee!

 

[KiwiMoose]

It is, but this is what I do. I try something and then fly down the rabbit hole for weeks, then its the next thing..

Surprisingly, the rock painting has stuck around for over six years now. Prior to that I was much like you. The soap making started a year later, and I’m still here too!

 

[msunnerstood]

Surprisingly, the rock painting has stuck around for over six years now. Prior to that I was much like you. The soap making started a year later, and I’m still here too!

Find the right molds and you could do the rocks. I did buy a little vibrating table to reduce air bubbles. then I fill any that get through with a little clay. They are usually tiny. You should give it a try.

 

[Zing]

Those are cute magnets! I'm impressed, I know it's a tricky medium and I'm impressed with your work I went through a phase of making cement hosta leaves.

 

[Misschief]

I've played a bit with cement, too. I made some cement cubes (in an ice cube tray) into which I stuck paper clips. They were meant to be used as price signs on my market table. They worked great but the best was watching customers pick them up to smell them, wondering what kind of soap it was. The "oops" when I told them it wasn't soap was priceless.

 

[Kcryss]

Ive been making things with Cement for a while now. It's a tricky craft. Cement-to-water ratios change depending on the project, Then there are the dreaded air bubbles and trying to prevent them. So far I've made gnome and penguin figurines, jars with lids, and coasters. My latest cement obsession is Magnets. Poured into molds, painted, then attached strong magnets to them. I made 20 sets and now Im looking for new molds, I may need help...

Those are adorable!

I've played a bit with cement, too. I made some cement cubes (in an ice cube tray) into which I stuck paper clips. They were meant to be used as price signs on my market table. They worked great but the best was watching customers pick them up to smell them, wondering what kind of soap it was. The "oops" when I told them it wasn't soap was priceless.

Wow! What a GREAT idea!

 

[Misschief]

Those are adorable!


Wow! What a GREAT idea!

Went hunting and found this pic of the prototypes.

 

[Kcryss]

Went hunting and found this pic of the prototypes.

View attachment 75498

Very cool!!! I love that!

 

[Savage Daughter]

I have been wanting to do some work with concrete, actually. Related, I despise styrofoam, and despise throwing it out even more....this stuff should be banned outright. I am constantly finding it in my little cove, picking up everything from chunks of this %$#! to tiny bits & pieces which the birds, seals, fish & whales eat. It's especially bad after a windstorm, when all sorts of garbage blows in on the waters.

So I have been thinking, after opening yet another box of furniture (I have been redoing my home) with - you guessed it - styrofoam inside & cussing up a storm....what can I do with this rubbish?

Well, I have been studying alternative building materials & methods over the past 4 years - NOT million dollar earthships - and decided to search the term STYROCRETE....lo and behold, somebody has come up with a way to use styrofoam in concrete as a strong, fireproof, low-cost building material. Super low-cost.

So, I have now begun saving this man-made abomination and will be using it next year when my granddaughter comes down to visit. I told her this is a project we are going to work on, outside of kayaking, wild foraging & bushwhacking and she is thrilled. We will be making outdoor planters & garden bed enclosures, along with some sculptures, to begin with. This will make it possible for me to physically move garden bed enclosures very easily, by myself, on demand, as this material is lighter weight than 100% concrete but still heavy enough to remain stable & in-place. The concrete & styrofoam makes a material that is very resistant to weather as well, which is a huge plus out here, yet weighty enough that it's not going to blow away. It also won't rot like wood, and prevents unnecessarily using lumber, which has a positive impact in terms of using less trees for this purpose. I have also seen people making entire homes & other outdoor structures out of this material. This is exciting stuff, for me anyways.

I love having a granddaughter who is as open as I am to getting as filthy as I wanna be

 

[msunnerstood]

Went hunting and found this pic of the prototypes.

View attachment 75498

What a great idea! Very creative

 

[Savage Daughter]

What a great idea! Very creative

Could also be done with actual soap That would look - and smell - pretty amazing!

 

[KiwiMoose]

@Misschief - very cute. And yes, they do look like soap!

 

[Christa10]

For a very short while I was making cement hearts, when a neighbor said the cement would be much better if I let it harden under water, so I tried just immersing my molds in a tub of water after I put the cement in and they did look different after they hardened. I'm not sure what the difference was structurally though.

 

[Tammyfarms]

I played around with hypertufa a few years ago. Cement, peat moss and perlite. The planters were lighter than cement or clay and heavy enough to stay in place during a windstorm. Here is an article with instructions. I am intrigued by @QuasiQuadrant’s idea of using styrofoam. I do not need another hobby.

 

[Savage Daughter]

I played around with hypertufa a few years ago. Cement, peat moss and perlite. The planters were lighter than cement or clay and heavy enough to stay in place during a windstorm. Here is an article with instructions. I am intrigued by @QuasiQuadrant’s idea of using styrofoam. I do not need another hobby.

My life out here is a series of hobbies which fuel my creativity....and I LOVE IT

If only our societies encouraged this type of play & experimentation in adults, as well as kids, to be honest. We'd have a very *very* different world!

EDIT: link to the instructions??? LOL

 

[Tammyfarms]

My life out here is a series of hobbies which fuel my creativity....and I LOVE IT

If only our societies encouraged this type of play & experimentation in adults, as well as kids, to be honest. We'd have a very *very* different world!

EDIT: link to the instructions??? LOL

lol. Here are the instructions How to Make a Hypertufa Pot

I love hobbies. The ability to create something from raw materials is so satisfying.

 

[Gaisy59]

Ive been making things with Cement for a while now. It's a tricky craft. Cement-to-water ratios change depending on the project, Then there are the dreaded air bubbles and trying to prevent them. So far I've made gnome and penguin figurines, jars with lids, and coasters. My latest cement obsession is Magnets. Poured into molds, painted, then attached strong magnets to them. I made 20 sets and now Im looking for new molds, I may need help...

View attachment 75493View attachment 75492

Cute, fantastic, wow