Concrete is a very underrated material, considering how versatile it is and how many really great DIY concrete project ideas are out there. We’ve put our favorite ones on a list, and we’re sharing it with you in the hopes that they’ll inspire you to explore some of the options yourself.
30 DIY Concrete Projects to Ground Your Design
1. Painted Concrete Letters
You can make painted concrete letters which you can then display around your home or offer as gifts. You need concrete mix, paper mache letters, a mixing bowl, sandpaper, tape, and acrylic paint. The concrete goes into the letter mold, you let it harden and then you sand it down and paint it. If you want a monogram in your home that can make a huge impact, this is the project to try. Painted concrete letters are durable enough for your porch or patio, too.
2. Custom Concrete Planters
You can also make your own custom concrete planters which you can shape however you want. Once again, the project is fairly simple. You need quick drying concrete, two paper cartons of different sizes for the mold, a mixing bowl, duct tape, sandpaper a square wooden dowel, and some basic tools. Make sure to include some holes for drainage in the bottom of your planter so that your plants don’t end up sitting in water, since this can cause them to develop root rot.
3. Concrete Coaster
Coasters are very useful but usually, they’re also boring and lack any sort of character. Consider decorating your own concrete coasters which will give you an incentive to actually use them. This can also work for coasters made of other materials as well. Have fun creating cool geometric patterns using tape and adding color to your design with acrylic paints. The advantage of concrete coasters is that this material has plenty of traction to help keep drinks from sliding off the table.
4. Concrete Succulent Planter
Another one of our favorites is this minimalist concrete succulent planter. Notice the smooth surface and lines and the simplistic design which go perfectly together. If you want to make something just as beautiful you’re going to need the following: a small non-stick cake baking tray, a small plastic container, concrete mix, and sandpaper. Succulents are a great option for indoor greenery since they don’t require much water or maintenance to keep them looking fresh.
5. Concrete Hexagon Coasters
We mentioned before that you can decorate your coasters to make them look nice and pretty but what if you want to actually make your own coasters from scratch? That can be done too. Check out these concrete hexagon coasters and let them inspire you. Assuming you don’t have molds that you can use, you’re going to have to use cardboard and duct tape as an alternative.
6. Concrete Desk Top
It’s not just little things and decorations that you can make out of concrete but also larger structural pieces such as a concrete desk top. This one is not made entirely of concrete but is, in fact, a wooden top coated in concrete. This gives it a nice finish and is a simple and interesting way to refresh an old or damaged table or desktop. Concrete desk tops fit great into an industrial or contemporary interior design. You can paint or stain them to match pretty much any color scheme.
7. Concrete Countertops
You can also use a similar strategy to refresh your kitchen counters. It’s an intermediate-level project for which you’re going to need Ardex Feather Finish concrete underlayment, a large trowel, a small putty knife, sandpaper, and sealant. Your new concrete countertops will look like new and they’ll give the kitchen a fresh vibe. Concrete countertops are also an affordable alternative to more expensive countertop materials such as granite and marble.
8. Concrete Candle Holders
Now let’s get back to all the small projects because, let’s face it, they’re the most fun. Check out our tutorial on how to make concrete candle holders. All you need for that is some concrete mix, water, plastic cups, and tealight candles. You can paint the candle holders at the end if you want to or you can just leave them as they are. Concrete candle holders are a good choice for fire safety too since concrete is relatively fireproof.
9. Concrete Garden Globes
These are concrete globes that you can display around your garden. They were made using old glass lamp globes as molds. The other supplies required include cement, moss, potting soil, water, a mixing container, cooking spray, a file, a wire brush, and a hammer. Check out the full tutorial on The Garden Glove. Like glass garden gazing balls, concrete globes offer tons of visual interest. They can also help decorate your garden even in the winter after your flowers and plants have died back for the year.
10. Faux Flower with Concrete Base
We also enjoy this project featured on By Brittany Goldwyn which shows you how to make a concrete base for a faux flower. Before anything else, you’ll need to find a faux flower that looks nice and that you like. The concrete base will keep it upright and secure and will act as a sort of permanent vase for it. Silk flowers come in a wide range of styles to fit any interior design, and they’re easier to keep than the live or cut variety. Be sure to dust your faux flower periodically to keep it looking fresh.
11. Concrete Christmas Tree Statuary
These are mini Christmas trees made out of concrete and they’re very simple-looking and quite abstract which actually means you can also use them as everyday decorations which you can display on shelves and tables or use as bookends and paperweights. Check out DIY in PDX to find out how to make these. Paint your concrete Christmas trees in traditional metallic Christmas colors like silver and gold for some added sparkle in any corner.
12. DIY Concrete Lamp
In case you didn’t know it, you can make your own light fixtures and it’s actually not that complicated. Start with something small and simple like this DIY concrete lamp featured on Agus Yornet Blog. You can use a tin can as a mold and a piece of cardboard tube for the hole at the center where the lamp holder and bulb fit. While this project results in a minimalist design that is more suited for sparse modern interiors than vintage looks, it’s a good way to add a little extra ambient lighting to any space.
13. Concrete Pumpkins
Because concrete is so malleable, you can shape it into whatever you want and create all sorts of cool things with it, like these concrete pumpkin decorations featured on lilyardor for example. These concrete decorations are perfect to set out for Halloween, but they also go nicely in your garden all autumn long. Wondering what you’re going to use as a mold? A pair of tights and some rope. Everything will make sense once you check out the full tutorial.
14. DIY Concrete Noteholders
Here’s a little project for your desk: DIY concrete noteholders. They’re cute and small and you can decorate them if you want to or create cool-looking designs and patterns using paint and tape. An advantage of using concrete in your noteholders is that it’s a heavy material that will help you keep your notes from spilling all over the floor. These holders also hold your notes upright, which helps you see and remember them. Check out the instructions for this project on Let’s Mingle.
15. Concrete Towel Planters
These planters have a nice texture to them and to understand how that was achieved all you have to do is check out the list of supplies used for this project. It includes cement, water, a mixing container, a plastic bottle, water-based paint, and old bath towels. Look for towels that have a rich texture. You can also use colored ones or towels with a certain design or pattern on them. This will affect the way your planters will end up looking. Check out gabiralea for more details.
16. Asymmetrical Concrete Planters
On the same note, we also want to show you these asymmetrical concrete planters which are perfect for small succulents and cacti. To make them you’re going to need white concrete, metal or silicone bowls to use as molds and a cake pan, a plastic ball cut in half, rocks, a mixing bowl, acrylic craft paint, and plants. Asymmetrical concrete planters can act as a cool and modern accent for any room. Make sure to drill small holes in the bottom of your planters to prevent standing water and root rot. You can find more details on A Kailo Chic Life.
17. Faux Concrete Vases
If you like the look of concrete but don’t want the weight and everything else that comes with it, you could consider using concrete scrapbook paper in your projects. Faux concrete offers all of the heavy industrial looks as true concrete without the weight or the mess when you’re working with it. One thing you could do is a set of faux concrete vases like the ones featured on Cherished Bliss. You can adapt this idea to suit other styles if you prefer the look of wood or marble instead of concrete. Concrete is one of the more adaptable materials you can work with, so it can be manipulated to imitate several other mediums for a softer look.
18. Concrete Egg Cups
You know what else you could make out of concrete? Egg cups. You can make them using cupcake paper cups and boiled eggs. Egg cups are perfect if you enjoy a poached egg at breakfast. They can also be used to display individual Easter eggs during the holiday season.
It’s a fun and easy project and there are a lot of ways in which you can customize it using acrylic paints, tape, or even other supplies. Be creative and add your own style to this project. The versatility this project brings to the table means you can fit it into just about any design scheme. You can get some inspiration from Fairytale Christmas.
19. Diamond Concrete Container
How about something fancy, like a diamond-shaped concrete container which you can use as a jewelry box or perhaps as a small hanging planter? The first thing you’re going to need to make is a concrete mold. You can find the template along with instructions on Made By Barb. Once you have the mold, it’s all just a matter of pouring the concrete mix in and letting it dry and harden.
The last step is to decorate the container. You can use gold leaf for a chic touch. You might pay quite a lot for this accessory in a home decor shop like Pier Import or Kirkland’s, but you’ll save money doing it yourself. You’ll get the pride of knowing you created it by hand, too.
20. Concrete Rod Trivet
This is a concrete trivet which may seem difficult to make considering the parts involved but is in fact quite simple. Concrete is a useful material for trivets since it holds heat to keep food warm without allowing it to transfer easily to nearby surfaces. You can make the concrete rods using ice cube trays as molds. Make sure to leave holes at the ends so you can run some thread through and put together the trivet. You can find a detailed tutorial for this project on Hungry Heart. As always, don’t hesitate to add your own touch to the design in which case creativity is the key to everything.
21. DIY Concrete and Wood Rolling Umbrella Case
Concrete works well for many home decorating applications, but it’s especially useful in any project where it can be used to help weigh an object down. Umbrellas need to have a heavy base since they can easily become top-heavy topple over without some balance in the bottom. Concrete is a heavy material that can help keep your umbrella stand from shifting around or getting knocked over when people are gathered in and around the threshold of your home. Putting wheels on the stand makes it that much easier to move around. Check out a tutorial for building your own DIY rolling umbrella case at Confessions of a Serial DIYer.
22. Faux Concrete Orb Planters for Air Plants
Concrete is a popular material for making small planters around the home, but if you don’t want to handle the real deal, faux concrete can help create the same aesthetic. These faux concrete orb planters from DIY Candy help carry a heavy industrial vibe, but they’re light enough to put on a fridge front without having to worry about them falling off from their own weight. Choose plants that don’t require a lot of watering, such as air plants, so you can avoid wetting down your orb planter as much as possible. Air plants are great for home decor since they require little water or maintenance.
23. Magnetic Cement Keyholder
This magnetic key holder from Instructables is one of the more simple concrete projects on this list, but it’s also one of the most useful. Nothing is more annoying than packing up your stuff to go somewhere only to find that your keys have gone missing. Keyholders help you set up a “launchpad” in your home where you can store all the belongings you need to leave the house such as your keys, your wallet, and your smartphone charging station. Place this magnetic cement key holder in a prominent location and never lose your house keys again.
24. Round Black Concrete Tray
Concrete decor is known for its unfinished gray appearance. However, some of the best concrete decor incorporates other colors such as metallic accents, stripes, or solid colors in the case of this round black concrete tray from DIY in PDX. A coat of dark paint can help make your concrete display tray look a lot more refined. Black is used in this example piece, or you could substitute in any dark color to help your concrete accent conform with the room’s color palette. These trays can be used to display all kinds of small knick-knacks such as jewelry or your cigarette lighter.
25. DIY Cement Bookends
Concrete is a perfect material for making bookends since you need a heavy material to help keep the stack of books from sliding in either direction. These DIY cement bookends from Hawthorn and Main have a very simple and minimalist look, but they’re a great addition to any contemporary design for a bedroom or library. Ornate bookends can look overblown and gaudy, but these strong square concrete blocks help keep your book collection upright without detracting from the books themselves.
26. DIY Concrete Paperweights
Speaking of keeping things weighted down, try out these DIY concrete paperweights from Burkatron to use concrete to help keep your papers from being scattered across the room. They’re created easily using quick-set concrete and an alphabet letter mold. Paperweights are a great accessory for bedroom desks, home offices, and library spaces since they help keep books and papers more organized.
27. Modern Concrete Pendant Lamp
Concrete pendant lamps are a little bit of a more advanced concrete project to work on, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give them a try. If you’re going for an industrial design or aesthetic, a concrete pendant lamp is unique enough to act as a focal point in the room. Make sure that your pendant lamp is designed so that enough light can shine through it to actually light the room effectively. Otherwise, you’ll need to supplement your spot pendant lighting with other ambient lighting options. Check out how to make your own modern concrete pendant lamp in this IKEA hack over at Curbly.
28. Simple DIY Concrete Clock
If paperweights and planters aren’t your thing, how about a concrete clock? Create this simple DIY concrete clock from Remodelholic and you’ll have all your houseguests asking how you managed to pull it off. While concrete is an expected material in structural elements of a home, it’s always a surprise to see it used as a decorating element. A concrete clock is the perfect way to add this unexpected touch of concrete to your home in a way that will get guests talking.
29. Letter Concrete Candlestick Holders
Concrete is a popular material for making monogrammed home decor, and these letter-based concrete candlestick holders from A Beautiful Mess are a good example of the theory in practice. Concrete is a useful material for building candlestick holders since it’s so heavy and can easily be used to weigh down the base of candlesticks to keep them from falling over. Be sure to test the steadiness of your finished candlestick holder with unlit candles in it before using it with fire to make sure that it’s fire-safe.
30. DIY Flower Vase Concrete
Concrete flower vases are a cool industrial accent because it’s an unexpected material to use in such a delicate application. Everybody expects to see glass flower vases, but nobody expects to see concrete. Concrete flower vases are useful because they can hold water easily and they can be painted to fit into any design scheme. It’s also easy enough to leave concrete flower vases unfinished and then let the color and beauty of the flowers speak for themselves. See how to create your own DIY concrete flower vase at Ohoh Deco.
Concrete may not be the first crafting material many people reach for when they begin creating their own home decor, but this material is surprisingly easy to work with. It can be used to build a dazzling array of decorations that you’d be proud to show off to anyone visiting your home. Whether you’re trying to pull off a minimalist look or you just want to experiment with a new artistic medium for creating your own handcrafted decor, you should definitely give one of the concrete projects on this list a try for yourself.
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