So here's the second day of Concrete Week and submission #3 to the Panduro Concrete Challenge. Yesterday was about the outdoors but I wanted to make something for inside too.
I prefer making stuff that has a use and a purpose rather than just being decorative and I really needed a bookend. Here it is! B goes three ways. B for Benita, B for books and B for böcker (that's books in Swedish).
My bookend started it's life out as a Ferrero Rocher container. I know, too yummy. The MDF letter B came in a craft swap about a year ago.
When filling concrete into a hard container like this plastic one it's advised to coat the inside with some vegetable oil. I ended up breaking the container to get my bookend out but I think it would have been even harder without the oil.
So again after filling the two sides of the container with the concrete mix and with the B placed at the bottom of the lid I left it for 24 hours in the garage (don't leave it outside in the sun, it'll dry too quickly and won't cure well). Broke the mold, got the bookend out (had to do a bit of scraping to get the letter to emerge as some concrete had seeped in under) and sprayed with water several times over the next day.
I ended up painting the B white and added felt dots underneath so my bookend won't scratch the shelf it sits on.
And there you have it. I'm really pleased as this was something I truly needed.
Oh, if you are wondering about the air bubbles, I don't mind them. I think they add character. As a matter of fact over the weekend I noticed that the items I made in closed containers had more air bubbles and the ones I made in open containers had way less. The reason is pretty obvious though. You can tap out the air bubbles from the open containers but not so much the closed. But like I said I don't mind them.
Have you ever tried concrete crafts? You should. It's pretty messy but real fun.
Benita you really are very imaginative and very clever. LOOVE IT! Will you be selling in your shop?
Kram Julie x
Posted by: Myblogswedishouse.blogspot.com | June 08, 2010 at 07:39 AM
If anyone wanted to pay a gazillion $$$ for shipping I'd add start selling :)This baby is h.e.a.v.y!
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | June 08, 2010 at 07:46 AM
Isn't the bookend really heavy?
I want to do some concrete crafts soon and I'm slightly worried about the weight of them all.
Posted by: Lydia | June 08, 2010 at 08:03 AM
It IS heavy. But that's what you want in a bookend :) If you make large thick pieces they will weigh quite a lot but you can make thinner things too. Concrete is really versatile!
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | June 08, 2010 at 08:07 AM
Oh I totally agree. Just having visions of the shelf collapsing from the weight. ;)
Want to do a coffee table and source some broken glass / glass pebbles.
Posted by: Lydia | June 08, 2010 at 08:12 AM
Nice! More "Ferrero-pyssel".
Posted by: Caroline | June 08, 2010 at 09:00 AM
Love-love-love this idea!!
Posted by: Lisbeth | June 08, 2010 at 09:15 AM
Wonderful idea, and beautiful product: You rock!
Posted by: Jorun | June 08, 2010 at 09:24 AM
Kjempegod idé! Veldig inspirerende å lese bloggen din! Skal definitivt prøve betong snart!:o)
Posted by: Ellen* | June 08, 2010 at 10:10 AM
Just love it!!!
Posted by: Jenny | June 08, 2010 at 10:22 AM
Great idea... Love it! So simple, unique - and it would fit into by book self!
Posted by: unikarina | June 08, 2010 at 10:38 AM
These are great projects, Benita - I especially like the bookend one. I have a really stupid question that I hope I don't embarass myself with here, but I'm going to go ahead and ask it as you're a very nice lady: you said to fill each part of the Ferrero Rocher box - but how do you do this, and still get the box to close? I'd be worried that when I tried to snap the parts of the box together to close them, the concrete would drip out, or else, I'd have to fill them about 4/5 full, then accept that there'd be some room left in the carton that might create a huge air bubble...Am I explaining myself very well? Probably not. I'm sure you can explain much better!:)
Posted by: kellee | June 08, 2010 at 10:42 AM
The bookend it so cool! I really want to try that one.
Posted by: Sarah Sarniak | June 08, 2010 at 11:18 AM
That bookend is just genius, and I love the simplicity of it, it´s very "you". I would love one (or two) myself as my only have thin, old metal ones (read: ugly) to hold my books. You´re so clever, Benita!
Happy and sunny thoughts from Finland!
Yours,
Mia
Posted by: Mia | June 08, 2010 at 11:58 AM
That was a little tricky I have to admit. I filled the lid all thte way but left a little space in the bottom part and quickly turned one onto the other. Again it helps if you keep the concrete kind of wet because them you can wiggle out any excess as your pressing the two parts together. I also slid a knife between the layers a couple of times to remove a little bit. I didn't get it perfect, there is a little groove along the closing line but concrete is kind of forgiving, it doesn't really matter :)
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | June 08, 2010 at 12:08 PM
This is a fantastic project! Next on our house renovation plan is our Study/Library... I've give much thought to the shelving but forgot the all important bookends! Can't wait to give this a try. Thank you!
Have a lovely day,
Laura
www.currykaydesgins.etsy.com
Posted by: Laura (Curry Kay Designs) | June 08, 2010 at 01:31 PM
And coincidentially, I received a subscription offer for 'the concrete magazine' at work today: http://www.concrete.org.uk/products/magazine_subscribe.asp
Perhaps you're interested?!
:D
Posted by: Lisbeth | June 08, 2010 at 01:40 PM
I quite like the bubbles, actually I was just going to ask how we could get even more bubbly bookends, bigger bubbles for example?!
Posted by: Iris | June 08, 2010 at 01:45 PM
I like your bookend.
I recently made some concrete bricks with my children. We used a kit from Michael's. The mold was a plastic rectangular frame into which I poured concrete. Next, we used plastic letters to stamp their names into the bricks. Then my kids added shells and colored glass for decoration. After letting it set for a few minutes, I carefully removed the mold and the stamping letters. It dried for 24 hours and then we had a personalized bricks for the garden.
Posted by: Jennifer S. | June 08, 2010 at 01:49 PM
I guess you could stir right pouring and then let sit quietly.
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | June 08, 2010 at 01:56 PM
Cute!
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | June 08, 2010 at 01:57 PM
Ummm, let's call me interested in concrete but not quite that obsessed. Yet. :)
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | June 08, 2010 at 01:58 PM
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Miracle. Girl.
Posted by: Sara | June 08, 2010 at 02:03 PM
I really love this idea!! It's so industrial looking, yet cute!! I'm trying it for sure!
Posted by: Shannon @ What's Up Whimsy | June 08, 2010 at 02:42 PM
I love the tip about drying in the sun vs. drying inside. And I like the bubbles too. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Elle Sees | June 08, 2010 at 03:23 PM
All of your concrete projects have been beautiful in their simplicity! [And how often does one use beautiful and concrete in the same sentence?! :D] Thanks for sharing your steps and tips on using concrete! -Michelle
Posted by: craftydill | June 08, 2010 at 05:37 PM
Lovely bookend :)
But, isn't it a bit too heavy for the bookcase? Some bookcases even get "sadlebacks" after being filled with only books.
But if one is afraid of that, maybe you could have a plastic container inside the bookend, or just make it hollow inside some other way.
Posted by: jorid | June 08, 2010 at 06:06 PM
It's heavy but not THAT heavy. It weighs 1.5 kilos /3.3 lb. The whole point of a bookend is to keep the books from falling over...
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | June 08, 2010 at 06:18 PM
I like concrete, heck, my home is made of concrete. You get pretty attached to concrete when you live in a place where your whole house could be lifted off the ground by a hurricane if built with the wrong materials. This is a project I really dig. Great job!
I have a question, because I sometimes do things with plaster (similar process), did you consider taping the two parts of the mold together and making a hole at the top to pour the concrete through? I am not really sure how you got both pieces together. I think I missed, or misunderstood that part.
Posted by: Clara in Paradise | June 08, 2010 at 06:32 PM
I didn't consider that option actually but it would probably have worked too. I answered the assembly question a bit further up when kellee asked the same thing.
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | June 08, 2010 at 06:53 PM
"I ended up painting the B white and added felt dots underneath so my bookend won't scratch the shelf it sits on."
When i read this.. i just feel it is so Benita... Cute Project... i want to become copy cat.
Posted by: Sandra Yeong | June 08, 2010 at 07:02 PM
I've never made anything with concrete before, but am loving the look of this bookend. I'm pretty sure I have the same chipboard letter as you used (in P instead of B) that would work great. And who doesn't have Ferrero Rocher containers?! Thanks for the idea!
Posted by: Katie | June 08, 2010 at 07:26 PM
So clever, you are!
Posted by: Samarra | June 08, 2010 at 09:40 PM
So sweet! I have a lot of concrete left from various yard projects...I'm going to make a couple of those for my friends who just moved in together. They're not married but their names both start with "H" so it works out perfectly!
Oh, and of course I will make some for my husband and I, too.
Posted by: erin lang norris | June 08, 2010 at 10:53 PM
I love all of these concrete projects!!! especially the book ends... so original!!!
Posted by: Punctuation Mark | June 09, 2010 at 01:12 AM
Oh! I just love this. It is so unique.
Posted by: Patricia | June 09, 2010 at 02:21 AM
This is fantastic! I'm buying me some concrete..
Posted by: Erika | June 09, 2010 at 06:40 AM
Yes, that totally makes sense - it turned out great so if I try it (I sure would love a set of bookends like yours!) I'll take your advice! Thanks for explaining it so well! :)
Posted by: kellee | June 09, 2010 at 10:29 AM
Ah, quick hands! Ok, I read the comment the first time and it was still a bit confusing, a second reading fixed that.
Posted by: Clara at The Home in Paradise | June 09, 2010 at 03:38 PM
i didn't know concrete could look so cute!
Posted by: cassie | June 10, 2010 at 05:04 PM
Really neat!
Posted by: Rebekah | June 11, 2010 at 04:18 PM
I never thought about crafting with ...concrete but now I can't wait to sty it. Thanks so much!
Posted by: Jenya | June 11, 2010 at 08:44 PM
I dont get it - did you let the 2 containers with concrete dry before you put them together? Dindt it fall out when you put them together to one?
Understand what I mean?
Posted by: Lise Jørgensen | June 12, 2010 at 11:00 AM
Check out my answer to kellee further up :)
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | June 12, 2010 at 03:19 PM
oh wow~!!! impressive! I'm definitely going to try this! thank you for all the inspiration!
Posted by: sunghee | June 13, 2010 at 04:10 AM
Åh, det där måste jag testa! Ett annat tips är att fylla en gammal sköljmedelsflaska.
Kram på dig!
Posted by: Tingelings-Sofia | November 03, 2010 at 09:37 PM
I read through this diy idea this summer and wanted to make my own. Just today I almost got my hands on a Ferrero Rocher container, but alas it was too large a shape compared to the one you found. To remind myself, I tagged this project on my blog. I hope you don't mind....
I love your inspiring ideas!
Posted by: macy dawn | November 19, 2010 at 11:23 PM
I love thi one.. have to try my self!!
Posted by: jenny | November 26, 2010 at 11:16 AM
I've put together a round up of monogram and letter projects on Craft Gossip today and included your project. :) You can see it here
http://homeandgarden.craftgossip.com/6-monogram-and-letter-projects/
If you would like to share the Craft Gossip love and show your visitors you've been featured, you can grab a button here!
http://homeandgarden.craftgossip.com/grab-a-craft-gossip-button/
Posted by: Amanda | March 21, 2011 at 01:25 AM
This is fantastic, I seriously cannot wait to do this. Thanks for letting me reblog!
Posted by: Lynn @ Constitutionally Modern DIY | March 30, 2011 at 11:21 PM
"B" for bookend!
Posted by: aris | April 11, 2011 at 04:50 PM
Very nice!! The bubbles look great. Is this just water and concrete or did you add sand (and in which proportions)? By the way, you can make this block lighter if you just put a block of polystyrene "floating" inside. But since then you probably couldn't use it as a book end, try this: use a filled air balloon, or some better fit mould as a means to leave an empty space inside the concrete mass, and leave an open end out. When it dries you'll have a way to fill that empty space with sand to make some weight. It will make the bookend more fragile, but also shippable! :) If this idea gets you some business, send me one with a J on it ;)
Posted by: João Martins | April 12, 2011 at 12:48 PM
It's just water and concrete. This stuff was very powdery and fine, not the kind you buy for larger constructions which tends to have a lot of bits and rocks in it.
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | April 12, 2011 at 07:20 PM
uuoowww it is a great ideia!!!
congratulations!!!!
xoxoxo
deise - brasil
Posted by: deise soares | May 21, 2011 at 03:39 AM
I'm sure if you've used vaseline instead of oil, it would have popped out of the container.
Posted by: Name * | June 15, 2011 at 05:22 PM
How to make a really cool monogrammed concrete bookend
Posted by: Locksmith San Francisco | July 05, 2011 at 11:12 AM
Very cool. Seeing this makes me think of a whole bunch of neat designs I could do with concrete.
Posted by: solar panels for sale | July 15, 2011 at 04:49 AM
J'adore! Merci à vous thank you
Posted by: cath | March 09, 2012 at 09:19 PM
I just made a whole set of these! Such a wonderful idea, and really cost-effective if you're looking for nice things on the cheap! I think my cost averaged out to about $6 a piece, but that's also incorporating the chocolate in there, haha. Thank you for the wonderful idea. Now we have personalized bookends that will last a lifetime!
Posted by: Ashley | May 04, 2012 at 06:02 AM
HI BENITA! ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOUR CEMENT CRAFTS, BUT I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS - - 1) IS THE "B" THAT YOU USED WOOD AND DOES IT GET REMOVED FROM THE CEMENT, AND 2) EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF CEMENT ARE YOU USING? I HAVE MADE CEMENT STEPPING STONES IN A MOLD BEFORE, BUT THE CEMENT I USED HAD STONES IN IT. YOUR CEMENT DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF CEMENT YOU ARE USING. CHECK OUT OUR BLOG TOO - WWW.NIKITALAND.WORDPRESS.COM THANKS, CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU! -VAL-
Posted by: VALERIE | June 06, 2012 at 12:34 AM
1) It's wood and I didn't remove it, I painted it after.
2) This is the concrete I used http://www.pandurohobby.co.uk/Catalogue/50-Decoration/5020-Plaster/502005-Plaster/1/100823-Fine-concrete-Pack-of-3-kg
Ps. Please don't use all caps when commenting. It's like your screaming at me :)
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | June 06, 2012 at 11:12 AM
That's a pretty idea.
Posted by: Meenakshi | September 06, 2012 at 11:04 AM