No.27 i Concrete - Preparing the Mold

I’m back with more on the concrete house number I wrote about last week.

So, Mini approved, so I continued.

 

 

I used the cut out numbers as templates and traced around them onto some foam core board. I did two of each.

 

Then I gathered my materials. Concrete (the fine kind), a bucket to mix in and some milk cartons.

 

I’m not getting into detail on how I made the numbers for the mold but basically I cut out the numbers from the foam core board and then cut pieces that went in between them to create 3D letters. For the straight sections I did longer pieces and for the curved passages I just made tiny little pieces. No need to be super precise in cutting these, just as long as they are all the same depth and don’t protrude outside the numbers. I used a glue gun for the assembly.

 

Here’s where the milk cartons come in. Milk cartons are great for concrete projects as they’re water resistant and slightly glossy so they’re easy to remove from the concrete once it’s set.

 

I was super lucky here to realize that the depth of my letters turned out to be exactly the depth of our milk cartons so I cut the cartons open and got four strips out of each one which was great. I used hot glue to stick the strips to my number carcasses. I used the existing folds on the carton to get sharp edges where I could and when I needed to I used duct tape for reinforcement.

The scissors are by Fiskars by the way and in case you’re wondering. The pattern’s not really my thing but I was happy to send some old wonky craft scissors packing and let a set of these move in with me in my hobby room via a surprise package earlier this summer. Can’t get away from the fact that there are NO better scissors out there.

 

So after a bit of hot gluing and taping i was left with a 3D milk carton clad 2 and a 7.
 

Are you getting the picture?

Stay tuned for the rest and the reveal!

Comments

[AnnaKW]

Looks promising! Can I ask where you got the foam core board? Looking for a good source in Stockholm or Uppsala.

[Carlos]

AnnaKW - You can get foam core att Matton http://www.mattonbutiken.se/index/browse/category/1231/Panna_Kartong/Cellpannaer.html

[the spectator]

c.l.e.v.e.r.

[Tiina]

Huh, I didn't know you have Valio milk in Sweden. Well, the cartons are way prettier than here in Finland *sigh*.

Can't wait to see the final product!

[M.E.]

Fun!!

[Jules Means]

Cool project but have to admit the cool scissors really got me. I love Fiskars, too. Priced so reasonably, I just throw them out when they get stiff or nicked to death. Growing up scissors were revered in our house. Each pair had its own use and they cost the earth to have sharpened.

[RC in Upstate NY]

Aaagh! The suspense! :-)

[Ingrid]

I am absolutely loving following you on your blog. So many fun projects and beautiful photos! Thank you!

[Paul Peterson]

Great DIY! I envy your skills. Thanks for sharing this one. Thumbs up! http://allamericanpaving.us/

[Debbie]

How do you clean the shovel and bucket from the concrete mixture? This is the only reason I don't do concrete. But surely you have the answer!

[Carlos]

Debbie - The trick is yo use it all up and wipe the bucket and shovel to get everything off. What little residue there is left gets hosed off after that. Be sure to do it when the concrete's still wet though. I usually do it under some bushes. If you have concrete left over, transfer it to some piece of cardboard or a thick paper bag and let it cure in there before tossing it but clean the tools right away.