How to Pour Cement Into Ornamental Molds

Pouring cement into molds to form it into customized shapes is useful when you wish to create stepping stones for a walkway, assemble installations like small birdbaths and patio tables, or use your imagination to design small decorative elements. Purchasing any of these items premade at a gardening store or home boutique can cost a lot of money, but once you have the simple cement molding process down, you can easily create them yourself at home.

Cement mold of your choice
Form and/or mold-release oil
Prepared cement
Spade

Instructions

- 1
  Coat the mold with a thin, even layer of the form release oil.
- 2
  Fill half of the mold with the prepared cement. Use a hand-held spade if it helps. Gently shake the mold back and forth and knock the bottom of the form on a hard, flat surface such as a tabletop to get rid of any pockets of air. Pour in more cement until the mold is full. Shake the mold again and knock the bottom of it to remove any new air bubbles.
- 3
  Place the filled mold on a flat surface in a room with mild temperature. Allow the cement to cure in the mold for 24 hours.
- 4
  Gently turn the mold over onto a flat surface. Press carefully on the center of the back of the mold with one hand as you lift the edges of the mold one at a time with the other. Lift the mold away from your finished formed cement once it releases.
- 5
  Finish your cement piece as desired.

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