How to Pour Concrete Stars

Cut the strips of the balsa wood into 8-inch strips. You'll need 10 strips for each star. Molds are somewhat reusable but not more than two or three times. Form the 10 strips into five points of the stars. Think of making five triangles, with the bottom of each triangle being open to each other in the middle of the star. The points should be wider than thinner, so you end up with chubby stars. These will be less prone to breakage than stars with thin points. Tape the strips of balsa wood over each juncture of the star. Your star mold is now ready for cement.

Place the mold on a flat surface. Fill the bucket with flour, sand or dirt, measuring how many cupfuls it takes. This tells you about how much cement you'll need for each star. Multiply the amount per star to determine the total amount of cement you'll need.

Mix the cement with water until it's the consistency of oatmeal. Exactly how much water depends on air humidity and the dampness or dryness of the cement mix. A good test is to cut the bottom out of a Styrofoam cup. Fill the cup with the mixed cement and invert it on a flat surface. Workable cement will remain 50 to 75 percent of the cup's height. More than 75 percent, and the mixture needs more water. Less than 50 percent, and you need to add more cement mix.

Place the star molds on level ground. If desired, you could pour them where they'll be permanently located. If that's the case, dig an outline of the star shape so the top of the star is about 1/2 inch above ground level.

Pour the cement into the star shape until the star is filled to within 1/2 inch from the top. Tamp down the cement with the trowel. Smooth the cement into the points of the star and against the wood.

Fill the molds to the top. Use the straightedge of an old ruler to smooth the top level.

Spray the cement with a fine mist of water every few hours if the day is hot. Cover with plastic sheeting to prevent the cement from setting up too fast. Keep them in the shade by setting chairs around the molds and using the chair to hold up old sheets. Cement takes from 48 to 72 hours to set up.

Remove the molds by lifting up. If the molds stick, break them away from the poured concrete stars.