Get artsy with rebar and premix concrete
Concrete isn’t exclusively for pavement and driveways. It’s a material that’s useful for many domestic and private uses…like art. Architects are artists with the stuff, as are sculptors. Look at Ai Weiwei. Though grim, he used rebar from the Sichuan earthquake to make both art and a statement about the lives lost. Our suggestions, though, have less to do with destruction and more with creating.
Homewares
Premix concrete and rebar have a number of uses for our inner homewares fanatic. If you have the right tools, there’s nothing that can stop you! You can also turn your hobby into a profit and sell your wares online, on sites like Gumtree or Etsy. What can you make? Well, what can’t you make, really. Premix concrete can be shaped into the likes of:
- Fruit bowls
- Plates, bowls
- Candle holders
- iPad stands
- Vases (flowers, succulents)
- Paperweights
You get the picture. Any of the above can also be made with rebar, but premix concrete is more reliable (less gaps).
Furniture
Premix concrete is hardy and versatile. Besides homewares, you can also make furniture out of it! Rebar is also good for this, but is better as a frame because the sharp edges can cut someone.
Concrete furniture looks amazing when it matches the rest of your home. Think renovated warehouses, rooms with exposed walls and cement rendering etc. Everyday homeowners have gotten more design savvy thanks to home renovation reality television.
You might need to order a little extra premix concrete and rebar to make solid items. You can’t do much with only half a bag of product. Cement-appropriate items include:
- A variety of tables (coffee, bedside, dining room)
- Kitchen bench (alternative to marble)
- Shelving units
- Storage boxes
Garden accessories
The contactor most likely used premix cement and rebar to create your driveway, patio and other large slabs around the house. You can use the leftovers to make something pretty, no different to a sculptor. Some furniture and accessories, like the ones above, are appropriate to have on the patio.If you have the means, and an inner Michelangelo waiting to unleash itself, create a cement block and get carving!
Here’s something else interesting to read:
Reocrete History Lesson: Famous concrete structures around the world
