Concrete + Copper Pipe Pen Holder

Concrete and Copper Pipe Holders

7/4/2017

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Steph's been wanting to make another concrete project and came up with an idea for using copper pipe to make a holder for pens/markers for her desk. As you know, her desk is very rustic industrial looking so a concrete and copper pipe holder is a perfect addition to her desk.

By the way, copper pipe ended up being way easier to cut than either of us realized!

Learn how to DIY using quikrete concrete and copper pipes to make a pen or paint brush holder.

Materials:

Concrete (Home Depot)
1/2" copper pipe (Home Depot)
1/2" PVC caps (optional) (Home Depot)
Plastic bottles (we used pure leaf tea bottles)
Aluminum tape (optional) (Amazon)
Tube cutter (Amazon)
Mallet
Mixing bowl/spoon
Safety gear: gloves, mask, safety glasses

Here's most everything you'll need. You'll also want a mixing bowl, as well as a mask, goggles, and gloves to protect your lungs, eyes, and hands while handling the concrete.

Look for copper pipe in the plumbing section of your store. If you're going to Home Depot, check their app and it will tell you the exact aisle and bay number you can find pipe in YOUR store.

We also picked up these 1/2 inch cap covers. They aren't totally necessary, but we wanted to give them a try as a way of keeping the concrete out of the pipe.

Remove the labeling from the plastic bottle...

...with a permanent marker, mark the height of the concrete and where to cut the bottle...

...cut the bottle. We used a box cutter which worked really well.

Cut copper pipe with a tube cutter.

The pipe caps are really snug. We tapped them on with a rubber mallet.

Or you can skip the caps and just tape everything together with aluminum tape and cover the bottom with the same.

To remove trapped air bubbles, tap the concrete to bring them to the surface.

Carefully cut through the plastic bottle to remove.

Follow the instructions for the concrete you are using. Add water a little at a time, mix until the consistency of brownie mix.

Arrange the pipes and push them down into the concrete.

We made a couple of versions. The left one was made with RapidSet cement.

All filled up! They are perfect for Steph's desk.

Sometimes it's fun to do a project that doesn't take a lot of time or effort. Small concrete projects are those projects for us!

I think we say it every time we work with concrete, but we really do like using it--it's an extremely creative material! During these hot summer days, quick projects are what you want--the less time spent in the garage the better.

How about giving concrete a try this summer? What would you make out of concrete? Let us know in the comments below and follow us on Instagram to see what we are working on!

Please note: We are not sponsored by any of the companies/products that we used. These products were picked and bought by us.

FYI: We are not professionals, and we don’t claim to be. This is what we found worked for our project. Yours may need a little different approach. Safety first!

FYI: Affiliate links are being used on this page. Purchasing via these links help support MDP!