How to Make an Imprinted Concrete Table Top

Build the form for your table using melamine panels for the tabletop and sides. Determine the dimensions you wish for your tabletop. Mark these dimensions out onto a melamine board with a pencil, and then mark the side pieces needed onto the melamine as well. Make certain that you add the width of the tabletop board to the height of the side pieces to get the table depth desired. Cut the marked measurements out using a table saw.

Assemble the form by attaching the sidepieces to the table top with wood screws and an electric screwdriver. Seal the inside joints of the form with silicone caulking, smoothing the caulk out with a wet fingertip to avoid leakage of the concrete when poured into the form.

Select the items you wish to imprint into your tabletop. Select the positions you wish them to rest in the concrete, and brush the bottom of the items, the portion you're not imprinting into the concrete, with adhesive. Press onto the melamine form and hold in place 30 seconds. When you pour the concrete over the items, they form an imprint directly into the concrete. Use flat items only, otherwise the imprint will be too deep, making the object difficult to remove and forming an area of the concrete prone to chipping.

Mix the concrete that you're using for your tabletop in a large bucket with an electric drill and paddle. Pour the concrete into the form, filling it to the top and covering the imprint items.

Place the form onto a flat surface and make certain the form is level to keep the thickness of the table top even throughout. Cover with a sheet of plastic and cure for the amount of time suggested by the concrete manufacturer.

Remove the plastic sheet. Unscrew the sides from the form, and the flip the table top over so that the melamine sheet is facing upwards. Pry the melamine away gently with a rubber putty knife to reveal the tabletop with the imprints in the concrete. Remove any imprint material sticking slightly to the concrete by hand.