Concrete look and home accessories made of concrete are currently very popular and modern. There are different items and designs available everywhere that impress with their simple appearance. But you can produce imaginative products yourself, because working with concrete is relatively easy and is also great for laypeople. For example, you can make a DIY concrete lamp yourself with little time and materials. You will find out more information and tips about working with this material soon.
What is concrete?
Concrete is a natural product, environmentally friendly and sustainable. It can be recycled and used again. The recipe is simple and this is what nature itself provides us with: a mixture of clay and limestone. Gravel and sand are also added for the aggregate. Of course it doesn't work without water. The exact mixing ratio of all ingredients plays a very important role. The properties, in particular the durability, that the cement exhibits later depend on this. To improve this, additives are used. The mass therefore hardens, for example. E.g., it expands faster, becomes firmer, denser, etc. The mixing recipes vary in order to be able to optimally adapt to the given requirements. There is a wide range of types of concrete, depending on how heavy or light, thermally insulating or pressure-resistant it should be.
How do you mix it correctly?
If concrete needs to be poured, it is advisable to make the mixture a little more liquid so that it can be poured into the mold more easily. However, this also delays the time for curing. For decorative purposes, such as a DIY concrete lamp, where no large weight needs to be supported, like a house for example, this doesn't play a big role. The exact mixing ratios can usually be found on the back of the packaging. We recommend adding 10 parts concrete mix to one part water. But it really depends on how detailed the corresponding mold actually is.
Choose concrete or creative concrete?
If you use material from the hardware store, it is advisable to stick to the manufacturer's instructions. Creative concrete is preferred for handicrafts because it is free of pollutants and low in dust. In addition, the mixture is finer and produces very good results, especially with smaller products - hardly any bubbles, very high density. No matter what type of concrete you are working with, we recommend sieving it before mixing. But do it outside of the living area, because you shouldn't inhale the concrete dust. An old pasta sieve is used to sieve out the coarse particles.
Concrete can be used to create many objects and bring creative ideas to life. The somewhat cold-looking concrete look fits wonderfully into any modern ambience, but works wonderfully as an accent in a traditional interior style. In addition, the material can be supplemented with others and continued to be treated creatively even after drying. Accents through color or napkin technology, installation of additional elements are possible. The biggest advantage is that it is cheap, therefore easily accessible and easy to do yourself. No very specific materials, tools and accessories are required to make a concrete lamp yourself. Concrete is also environmentally friendly and sustainable.
You can use different shapes for the DIY concrete lamp. If you want to use a mold several times, choose one made of plastic or silicone. Depending on the shape and preference, some baking and muffin tins can also be used here. There is also the option of ordering an individual shape. However, any PET bottles or tetra packs that have to be disposed of afterwards can be used. So that you can easily remove the concrete from it later, the form is sprayed with oil before pouring. When working with concrete, we definitely recommend wearing gloves and a protective mask. Concrete dust dries the house very quickly, attacks it and can cause the so-called cement fire.
Materials and tools required:
- Lamp holder
- Cable connection
- two PET bottles for the mold – one small and one larger
- 1 thread
- Cordless screwdriver
- 2 – 3 screws
- Creative concrete or cement
- 1 empty can
You can make a mold yourself from two PET bottles and develop it yourself. You can do this if you choose the PET bottles so that they fit together well in terms of size and shape. Cut off about 1/3 of the larger one. Drill the lids of the two bottles in the middle using the cordless screwdriver. Insert the small bottle into the large one and use the thread to fix both in the correct position. You should keep in mind that the distance between the two bottles will actually be the thickness of the lamp walls.
To keep the two bottles stable in the desired position, tighten 3-4 screws. The incorporated thread should be at least thick enough to allow the connecting cable to run loosely (7 mm diameter should actually be enough). Now take the can, turn the bottles over and place them vertically in the can. This makes the mold easier to cast.
Mix the concrete in a jug and bowl with water. You are welcome to make the mixture a little more liquid and gradually pour it into the homemade mold. Wait briefly between layers of concrete to avoid unsightly air bubbles. Fill up to the screws you inserted earlier to secure it. Allow to harden for a day. The next day you can remove the outer PET bottle from the concrete lamp and let it dry for another three days.
Remove the outer PEt bottle layer when the concrete has hardened a little but is not yet completely solid. You can clean the edges with a cutting knife. The next day, try to carefully remove the smaller PET bottle from the inside of the concrete lamp. First try using careful twisting movements. Once completely dry, treat the surface with fine-grain sandpaper and smooth it nicely. Finally, remove the threads and insert the socket and connection cable. If the concrete lamp is damaged in some places, there is the option of repairing the shape later. To do this, mix a little cement with water and use a small spatula or stick to fill in the empty spaces.
Ready-made concrete from the hardware store has a less attractive appearance compared to creative concrete. The first basically serves as a structural element, forms larger holes and therefore does not appear decorative. Creative concrete, on the other hand, dries evenly, has fine porosity and therefore small fractures rarely form on edges. In addition, the slightly porous appearance is part of the concrete look.
Color concrete
There are several ways you can add variety or color to your concrete product. Concrete can still be tinted while it is still liquid. Acrylic or chalk paints are used for this. After the concrete lamp is finished, you can apply paint with a brush. Using adhesive tape you can tape off geometric figures or simply lines and then color them in. Another option would be to use the napkin technique and attach a desired motif with napkin glue.
Modern home accessory made by yourself
The second variant for DIY concrete lamp is to use a juice or milk carton for the mold. The lamp holder and textile cable are attached to the package and the poured concrete is filled. The pack can be removed the next day and the lamp should then dry for another three days.
If it is going to be a table lamp like this, then all you need is a nice light bulb. One with a vintage look has been selected, which in itself looks very interesting and eye-catching. This is simply screwed in and placed on a side table for decoration. Use a normal socket with a cable as the socket for the light bulb. You are welcome to choose an eye-catching model with a colorful textile cable. You should also make a hole for the cable on one side. Be sure to use a suitable drill attachment here.
If the socket doesn't fit perfectly and wobbles back and forth, take matches or something else and press evenly to seal the gap. It is advisable to attach a few self-adhesive rubber buffers to the bottom side so that the furniture is not scratched or damaged by the rough concrete.
