Concrete casted in styrofoam comes out with a really cool cellular texture. These concrete objects make great bookends or door stops. The next time you get open a box, examine the packaging. If it can hold water, it has the potential to be transformed into something amazing!

SUPPLIES:

Quikrete Commercial Grade Countertop Mix in White and Grey
Available at Home Depot
I prefer the Commercial Grade Quikrete Countertop Mix for these type of projects but Quikrete 5000 will work just fine as well.



Styrofoam Packaging
Recycle
Hopefully Styrofoam packaging will be replaced with more responsible alternatives in the future, but if it isn’t going to biodegradable on its own, you might as well put it to use before it goes in a landfill.

TOOLS:

Husky Box Cutter
Available at Home Depot

INSTRUCTIONS:

STEP 1: Prepare the Styrofoam
Clean the Styrofoam and pour some water in it to check for leaks. If you're pouring a big piece, use duct tape to bind the the Styrofoam to keep it from breaking and buckling from the weight of the concrete.





STEP 2: Mix and Pour the Concrete
Either Quikrete 5000 or Commercial Grade Quikrete Countertop Mix will work well. In order to get a nice texture, make sure you thoroughly vibrate and shake all the air bubbles out of the wet concrete.





STEP 3: Remove the Mold
Let the concrete cure at least 48 hours before cutting and breaking away the Styrofoam.















Good luck making your own concrete bookends and please email or tweet photos to @benuyeda or ben@homemade-modern.com. For more detailed instructions, dimensioned drawings and different variations of the project, check out our soon-to-be-released book.

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