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DIY for Homeowners

Handmade Holiday Gift: DIY Concrete Kit

12/16/2016

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Mother Daughter Projects
We are participating in a Handmade Holiday Gift Series with fellow bloggers. As usual, when faced with a challenge, we each had our own ideas of what to do. We barely considered Vicki's idea because Steph's idea was perfect!

Our gift idea is a take off of all those Pinterest worthy "mix in a mason jar" ideas. We decided instead of a food mix we'd make up a DIY concrete kit in a bag! 

We have enjoyed learning how to use concrete this year, but realized there is not an easy, simple way to experience using concrete without having to buy a huge bag of concrete. Putting together a concrete kit, with everything your gift recipient will need to make three candleholders, allows you to give the gift of creativity to all your DIY friends. 
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
Materials:
  • RapidSet Cement All--we chose RapidSet because it sets up within an hour
  • Ziplock sandwich bags--any high quality bags will do
  • Small storage cups with lids--we used Betty Crocker brand
  • Tea Lights--ours are from Target
  • Plastic gloves
  • Face mask
  • Paper bag for concrete
  • Purchased or handmade bag for all the contents
  • Instructions for recipient
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
Tools you need to put together kit:
  • Container for cement
  • 2/3 cup measuring cup
  • Straight edge--we used a paint stick
  • Plastic bags from above
  • Permanent marker--we used a Inkzall from Milwaukee
  • 1/2 Tablespoon measuring spoon
  • Plastic Cups from above
  • Water
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
Before starting, put on your SAFETY gear--mask and gloves. Work in a open garage or outside. Be careful of the cement dust--it is DANGEROUS to breath in. Pour cement into the bowl for easy measuring. Do this outside as this kicks up a lot of dust.
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
Each kit will contain three plastic bags of pre-measured concrete. Fill the 2/3 cup measuring cup with concrete, tamp it into the cup with the paint stick, then level it off (like you'd do with flour). Repeat until you have three bags of concrete.
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
Lay the filled bags away from you and gentle push out the air and seal the bag. Try to keep the cement away from the "zipper" area as it will impede sealing correctly.
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
We placed our three bags of concrete into a decorative bag. It's not necessary, but it's a nice touch and it keeps all the cement bags secure.
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
This can also be an optional step, but again, by doing this, your recipient has one less thing he/she has to do. You will be marking the water level for the amount of water needed to be added to one bag of concrete. Measure 2 1/2 tablespoons of water into one of the plastic cups. We used a 1/2 tablespoon measuring spoon.
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
Using the marking pen, draw a line even with the top of the water level. Be sure to dry out the cups before assembling your kit.
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
Download Instructions
Now put it all together- each kit gets:
  • 3 bags of cement, optionally placed into a brown bag
  • 3 plastic cups and lids
  • 3 tea light
  • 1 face mask
  • 1 set of gloves
  • Instructions

​Put the tea lights into the stacked plastic cups and seal the top cup. 

All of the above is placed into a decorative bag you either purchase (Target has one that is fun) or you make. Ours are made of buffalo check fleece with jute ties.

​Don't forget to include the instuctions. We have created a printable here for you to download for your kit. It's designed to be folded in four.

If you want to make a decorative bag, here's how Vicki did it:
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
I used fleece for the bag and jute for the ties. Start with a piece of fleece approximately 17"x12"
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
Make it easy, cut on a "check" line.
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
Pin, stitch 1/4" from edge--back seam.
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
Line up back seam with front snip mark.
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
Fold down the top edge to create a casing. I folded on a check. Stitch close to the edge (optional), then a second time further away.
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
Cut a piece of jute about 3' long, tie a knot in one end, thread a safety pin through.
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
I tried to cut on a check so some bags are wider than others based on what side of 17" the check edge fell
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
Fold in 17" wide in half, right sides together
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
Mark the center front of bag with a little snip
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
Pin together and stitch 1/4" from edge.
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
To create an opening in the casing, lay front facing up, locate each side and cut a small opening through the top layer only.
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
Push the safety pin through one of the side openings and then back out the same opening. Repeat with the other opening.
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
This is a great, creative gift to give your friends and family this holiday season! Hopefully making this first concrete project will inspire them to come up with even more ideas on how to create concrete. This would also be a great idea for a craft night with some friends! #givehandmade

Love this idea but don't have time to make a kit? We have you covered! We have made a limited number of kits for purchase here!
Holiday Gift- DIY Concrete Kit. MotherDaughterProjects.com
Check out some more great handmade holiday gifts from our fellow bloggers:
  • ToolBox Divas - Wooden Tic Tac Toe  
  • DoityourselfDanielle - Soy Scented Candles
  • Woodgrain Girls - Cookies for Santa Tray
  • Handmade with Ashley - Solar System Wooden Game
  • Cowlick Studios - Lego Art Table 

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!

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