How to Make Ornamental Concrete Items with Molds

Ornamental concrete items are popular in many people's yards and gardens. These items can be anything from a small plaque or animal to a life-sized statue. A concrete item such as this is cast out of a mold, which allows multiple copies of the item to be created. Casting concrete into a mold is a fairly simple process. The molds are available online, and in some specialty garden stores. Bags of ready-mix concrete can be purchased at any building supplier.

Mold
Soapy water
Scrub brush
Bolts, clamps or straps
Spray release agent
Ready-mix concrete
Water
Bucket, tub or cement mixer
Shovel (optional)
Rubber mallet

Instructions

- 1
  Clean the interior of the mold with soapy water and a scrub brush. This will remove any debris and residue from previous castings. Allow the mold to dry.
- 2
  Bolt, clamp or strap the pieces of the mold together if you are working with a multi-piece mold. If the mold is a single piece for a flat object such as a stepping stone, place it on a table with the open end facing up.
- 3
  Spray the interior of the mold with a commercial release agent. This will help the mold to separate from the concrete.
- 4
  Combine a batch of ready-mix concrete with water, following the mixing ratio on the bag. Depending on the amount you need you can do this by hand in a bucket, in a large tub with a shovel or with a small cement mixer.
- 5
  Pour the concrete into the mold until it is full.
- 6
  Tap the sides of the mold with a rubber mallet to dislodge and trapped air bubbles, causing them to float to the surface.
- 7
  Allow the concrete to cure for 24 hours. Larger pieces such as statues should be left in the mold for 48 hours.
- 8
  Remove the concrete item from the mold and allow it to dry for three to seven days depending on the size of the object.

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