My mom was the major push behind this project. She’s obsessed with “yard art” and thought these would be a great addition to any yard.
I like the idea of making them a large centerpiece on a table, bird feeder, a holder for serving on an outdoor table, or a bird bath.
Don’t let the pictures fool you. This is a VERY easy project.
A Bag of Sand
Concrete
Plastic bags
Acrylic pant
That’s it – all you need.
Oh well – and a leaf of your choice.
I mounded the sand on the ground (outside of the package) then laid down plastic with the leaf FACE DOWN on top of the plastic.
Next came the concrete.
I used quick set concrete – but I wouldn’t suggest using something that sets up fast unless you are comfortable working with concrete. This stuff starts to harden quick!
After the concrete was laid on the BACK of the leaf I covered the entire thing with plastic and put bricks on the plastic edges to hold it in place. Let it set up per the concrete directions. Usually a couple days
A few things to note: WEAR GLOVES! I got cheap latex gloves and they worked like a charm. To get a clean edge you can use your fingers to roll the edge kind of like if you were working with dough. Start the concrete in the center and work your way to the edges
Personally I am a fan of the little “bubbles” and cracks in my cast. I like the character it gives. To keep this from happening use traditional concrete and not the quick set kind. It is a lot easier to mix and get the ideal consistency.
Next up : PAINT
I watered down my acrylic paints to make them bleed into each other better. There is no exact science to this, so just have fun.
Layering and mixing will be your friend.
If painting makes you nervous then get an inspiration picture and work from there!
I love them – and to be honest the painting was my MOST FAVORITE part. It was relaxing and mindless.
I topped all of mine with a green glitter paint. It was transparent after drying and gives the most fantastic sheen!
In total (for all three leaves) I paid $20. This would be such a great – and CHEAP – gift! After the paint is dry I added a water seal so that the concrete would hold up outside. If you plan on using them inside to serve or hold utensils I would suggest sealing with Waterlox, as it is food safe.
Now go forth and conquer concrete!
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