Frame Made of Yarn and Concrete

Most of my instructables arose due to the requirements of the contests of this site (https://www.instructables.com/contest/). So the idea of this instructable came to me while I was working on the Multi-Discipline contest (I was preparing this along with another project for that contest, but, unfortunately, there were some difficulties, and I did not finish these projects). For that contest it was required to combine distinctly different creative disciplines. Since I can crochet and I already have experience working with concrete, I decided to combine these two such different materials. I really like contrasting things. So I decided to combine yarn and concrete and make an unusual frame (10,5 cm wide) for a small mirror (size of the mirror 15,5 : 15,5 cm). This is my idea and I am delighted with the contrast of the rough gray texture of concrete and white lace crocheted from cotton yarn. I hope you enjoy it too.

So, in this instruction you will learn how to combine two such different materials, yarn and concrete, and to make, in my opinion, the nice frame. You can hang this frame on a wall and use it not only for a mirror, but also for photography, picture, etc. The frame consists of a concrete part and a crocheted part of white cotton yarn. They are connected through holes in the concrete part. The crocheted part is treated with a special solution, thanks to which it keeps its shape. There is also a removable back, so you can insert / remove your mirror, photo, picture, glass for the photo or picture.

P.S. I'm tired of fighting with sites that steal my instructables regardless of the license (which is indicated in the upper left corner). Sorry but I decided to add attribution to my photos. I know it looks a little annoying, but it annoys me even more to see my works under someone else's authorship or for sale.

2-3 cm wide boards (to make mold),

a piece of laminated board with a width and length of at least 26 cm (to make the bottom of the mold),

a hacksaw,

PVA glue,

hot glue,

scissors,

a duct tape,

cardboard,

a felt-tip pen,

a pencil,

a ruler and triangle,

paper,

cement,

water,

sand,

a container for mixing concrete,

a spoon,

reinforcing mesh with a mesh length of 2.5 cm,

4 screws,

wire cutters,

white cotton yarn 415 m / 100 g (two skeins),

a hook with a diameter of 3 mm,

a piece of fiberboard (square with sides 18 cm),

a piece of tin (I used a can cover),

metal scissors,

a drill,

fishing line,

primer and varnish for concrete,

oil,

film,

fabric stiffener,

pins,

screwdriver.

The concrete part of the frame should have holes for which the yarn will be fastened.

Make the outer part of the mold: prepare 4 boards and glue them together at a right angle so that you get a 24cm per side square (photo).

Make the inside of the mold: using boards make a square 5 mm thick and 1 cm less long than the mirror (glue the boards at a right angle). In the same way, glue a square 5 mm thick and 1 cm longer than the mirror.

Using hot glue, tightly glue the outer part of the mold to the laminated surface of the chipboard (fill all gaps with hot glue). Then glue in the center the first inner part of the mold (the one that is smaller than the mirror).

Then you need to mark the location of the molds for the holes. Use a piece of paper (cut it to the necessary size - see photo). Using a ruler and a pencil, make the markings on the paper so that the holes will be evenly distributed near the edges in the mold and in the middle of the cells of the reinforcing mesh. Make small holes in paper at these points. Put the paper inside the mold. Mark on the bottom of the mold through these points (holes) using the felt-tip pen (photo).

Make the shapes for the holes: cut the cardboard into 4 cm long and 3 cm wide strips. Screw the strips onto the felt-tip pen and wrap the outside with tape (photo). Make 32 pieces.

Using hot glue, glue the hole forms in the marked places (photo). The glue should only be inside the paper tubes.

Cut the reinforcing mesh so that it can be easily placed between the outer and inner molds and molds for holes (in one piece).

Using hot glue, glue the second part of the inner mold into the center (on top of the first part).

The mold is ready. Lubricate its surfaces with oil.

Prepare a concrete: mix 1 part cement and 1 part sand well, then add water and mix well.

Use a spoon to pour some concrete in the mold (between the molds for holes). Then place the prepared piece of reinforcing mesh into the mold. Pour more concrete.

Then at each corners of the inner part, insert screws into the concrete.

Leave the concrete to harden and dry for several days, covering it with a film.

Then carefully remove the concrete part of the frame from the mold. Use the screwdriver to push out the holes.

Sand, rinse. Coat with a primer and varnish.

You will need to know how to make:

chain (ch), single crochet (sc), popcorn stitch (pc), finish off crochet.

For this you need two skeins of yarn. From the first skein, crochet a chain. Fasten the end of the chain to one of the screws of the concrete part of the frame on the back side. Turn the frame over and crochet around the chain using the yarn of the second:

*pull the chain through the hole, 1 popcorn stitch from 5 dc (pc) around this chain, then around the chain on the side of the frame 1 sc, 1 ch, 1 sc, 1 ch, 1 sc, then again 1 pc around the chain from the hole, then around the chain on the side of the frame 1 sc, 1 ch, 1 sc, 1 ch, 1 sc, go to the next hole. Repeat from *. In the hole in the corners, repeat 3 times from * (3 pc pairs, in total 6 pc at the corner). Crochet around the concrete frame. Finish off crochet.

Cut a square with 18 cm sides from the fiberboard.

Drill holes in the corners a little more than the head of the screws fixed in the concrete part of the frame.

Make clamps: using tin cut 4 strips 1.5 cm wide and 3 cm long. Fold in half and cut a piece in the middle a little smaller than the head of the screws (photo).

Drill two holes at the top of the fiberboard square (6 cm apart).

Crochet a chain of fishing line about 20 cm long. Crochet a chain of 10 cm long from white cotton yarn, connect it to the chain of fishing line, then crochet again 10 cm (of yarn). Weave a pigtail of fishing line and two chains of yarn.

Pass the resulting weaved cord through the holes in the top of the fiberboard square and connect the ends - crochet (photo).

Insert the screws of the concrete part into the holes in the back part and fix them by inserting the tin clamps.

You will need to know how to make:

chain (ch),
slip stitch (sl st),
single crochet (sc),
half double crochet (hdc),
double crochet (dc),
front post treble/triple crochet (fp trc),
double treble crochet (dtr),
popcorn stitch (pc),
finish off crochet.

268 chains (ch), 1 slip stitch (sl st) in first ch to form ring.

1st round (rnd): 2 ch (lift loops), 66 half double crochet stitch (hdc), 3 hdc in the same loop (to form 1st corner), 66 hdc, 3 hdc in the same loop (to form 2nd corner), 66 hdc, 3 hdc in the same loop (to form 3rd corner), 66 hdc, 3 hdc in the same loop (to form 4th corner), 1 sl st.

2nd rnd: 1 ch (lift loop), 1 sc.

* 3 ch, 1 sc in the same loop, 2 sc.

Repeat from * 33 times (33 arches). 3 ch, 1 sc in the same loop, 1 sc, 3 ch, 1 sc in the same loop, 2 sc (1st corner) (photo).

Repeat from * 33 times (+ 33 arches). 3 ch, 1 sc in the same loop, 1 sc, 3 ch, 1 sc in the same loop, 2 sc (2nd corner).

Repeat from * 33 times (+ 33 arches). 3 ch, 1 sc in the same loop, 1 sc, 3 ch, 1 sc in the same loop, 2 sc (3rd corner).

Repeat from * 33 times (+ 33 arches, in total 140 arches). 3 ch, 1 sc in the same loop, 1 sc, 3 ch, 1 sc in the same loop, 2 sc (4th corner).

3rd rnd: 3 sl st to move in the arch, 3 ch, 2 double crochet (dc) (in the arch), 1 ch,

* skip one arch, 3 dc in the arch, 1 ch. Repeat from *. In the corners don't skip arches (photo). 1 sl st.

4th rnd: 1 ch (lift loop), * sc. Repeat from *. In the corners 2 sc in the same loop (photo). 1 sl st.

5th rnd: 1 ch (lift loop), * sc in the back loop (photo). Repeat from *. In the corners 2 sc in the same back loop (photo). 1 sl st.

6th rnd: 1 ch (lift loop), * sc. Repeat from *. In the corners 2 sc in the same loop (photo).1 sl st.

7th rnd: 1 ch (lift loop), 4 sc, 1 double treble crochet (dtr) in the 4th free front loop of the 5th row.

* 4 sc in the 7th row, skip the following 3 loops from the last connected dtr in the 4th row, dtr in the next free loop (photo). Repeat from * 6 times (8 pillars tilted to the right) (photo). 3 sc, 1 dtr in the 4th behind front loop of the 5th row.

** 4 sc in the 7th row, skip the following 3 loops from the last connected dtr in the 4th row, dtr in the next free loop (photo). Repeat from ** 8 times (10 pillars tilted to the left). 1 sc, 2 sc in the same loop, 1 sc (1st corner) (photo).

Repeat from * 10 times (+ 10 pillars tilted to the right), repeat from ** 10 times (+ 10 pillars tilted to the left), 1 sc, 2 sc in the same loop, 1 sc (2nd corner).

Repeat from * 10 times (+ 10 pillars tilted to the right), repeat from ** 10 times (+ 10 pillars tilted to the left), 1 sc, 2 sc in the same loop, 1 sc (3rd corner).

Repeat from * 10 times (+ 10 pillars tilted to the right), repeat from ** 10 times (+ 10 pillars tilted to the left), 1 sc, 2 sc in the same loop, 1 sc (4th corner). 1 dtr in the 4th free front loop of the 5th row, 4 sc in the 7th row, skip the following 3 loops from the last connected dtr in the 4th row, dtr in the next free loop (photo). 1 sl st.

8th rnd: 1 ch (lift loop), 1 sc.

* 8 ch, skip 3 loops, 7 sc (photo). Repeat from * 2 times. 8 ch, skip 3 loops, 6 sc, 8 ch, skip 3 loops (the middle), 6 sc, repeat from * 4 times. 10 ch, skip 4 loops (1st corner), 7 sc.

Repeat from * 3 times. 8 ch, skip 3 loops, 6 sc, 8 ch, skip 3 loops (the middle), 6 sc, repeat from * 4 times, 10 ch, skip 4 loops (2nd corner), 7 sc.

Repeat from * 3 times. 8 ch, skip 3 loops, 6 sc, 8 ch, skip 3 loops (the middle), 6 sc, repeat from * 4 times, 10 ch, skip 4 loops (3rd corner), 7 sc.

Repeat from * 3 times. 8 ch, skip 3 loops, 6 sc, 8 ch, skip 3 loops (the middle), 6 sc, repeat from * 4 times, 10 ch, skip 4 loops (4th corner), 6 sc, 1 sl st.

9th rnd: 2 ch (lift loops), 10 half double crochet (hdc) in the arch, skip 1 loop, 3 sc.

* 11 hdc in next arch, skip 1 loop, 3 sc (photo). Repeat from * 1 time.

** 11 hdc in next arch, skip 1 loop, 2 sc. Repeat from ** 1 time, repeat from * 4 times, 15 hdc in next arch (1st corner), skip 1 loop, 3 sc.

Repeat from * 3 times, repeat from ** 2 times, repeat from * 4 times, 15 hdc in next arch (2nd corner), skip 1 loop, 3 sc.

Repeat from * 3 times, repeat from ** 2 times, repeat from * 4 times, 15 hdc in next arch (3rd corner), skip 1 loop, 3 sc.

Repeat from * 3 times, repeat from ** 2 times, repeat from * 4 times, 15 hdc in next arch (4th corner), skip 1 loop, 3 sc, 1 sl st.

10th rnd: 1 sl st on the arch.

* 3 ch, skip 1 loop, 1 sc, 3 ch, 1 sc, 3 ch, skip 1 loop, 1 sc, 1 ch, skip 7 loops, 1 sc (in the next arch). Repeat from * 2 times.

** 3 ch, skip 1 loop, 1 sc, 3 ch, skip 1 loop, 1 sc, 3 ch, skip 1 loop, 1 sc, 1 ch, skip 6 loops, 1 sc (in the next arch). Repeat from ** 1 time. Repeat from * 4 times.

*** 3 ch, skip 1 loop, 1 sc, 3 ch, skip 1 loop, 1 sc, 3 ch, 1 sc, 3 ch, 1 sc, 3 ch, skip 1 loop, 1 sc, 3 ch, skip 1 loop, 1 sc (1st corner). 1 ch, skip 7 loops, 1 sc (in the next arch) (photo).

Repeat from * 3 times, repeat from ** 2 times, repeat from * 4 times, repeat from *** 1 time (2nd corner).

Repeat from * 3 times, repeat from ** 2 times, repeat from * 4 times, repeat from *** 1 time (3rd corner).

Repeat from * 3 times, repeat from ** 2 times, repeat from * 4 times, repeat from *** 1 time (4th corner),1 sl st.

11th rnd: 2 sl st to move in the arch, 3 ch (lift loops), 1 popcorn stitch (pc) with 4 dc, 3 ch, 1 pc with 5 dc in next arch, 3 ch, 1 pc with 5 dc in next arch, 1 ch.

* 1 pc with 5 dc in next arch, 3 ch, 1 pc with 5 dc in next arch, 3 ch, 1 pc with 5 dc in next arch, 1 ch. Repeat from * (photo). 1 sl st.

12th rnd: 1 sl st to move in the arch, 1 ch (lift loop), 3 sc in the arch,

* 3 sc in the next arch (photo). Repeat from *. In the arches of the corner 5 sc (4 arches). 1 sl st.

13th rnd: 2 sl st, 1 ch (lift loop), * 3 sc, 4 ch, skip 3 loops (photo). Repeat from *. In the corner 2 sc, 4 ch, skip 3 loops (4 times). 1 sl st.

14th rnd: 1 sl st, 1 ch (lift loop), 1 sc in the same loop, * 6 dc in the arch, skip 1 loop, 1 sc (photo). Repeat from *. 1 sl st.

15th rnd: 2 sl st, 1 ch (lift loop), 1 sc in the same loop, * 1 front post treble/triple crochet (fp trc), 1 ch, 1 sc, 1 fp trc, 1 ch, 1 sc, 1 fp trc, 1 ch, 1 sc, 1 fp trc, 1 ch, 1 sc, skip 2 loops, 1 sc (photo). Repeat from *. Finish off crochet.

Join the crocheted part of the frame with the crocheted edge of the concrete part of the frame with single crochet stitches (photo).

Now you need to make the crocheted part of the frame rigid. Make a stand from the boards around the concrete part of the frame (with a thickness equal to the thickness of the concrete part), cover it with foil and put it under the crocheted part. Soak the crocheted part with the Fabric Stiffener solution or a solution of PVA glue with water. Pin the corners. Leave to dry well. Remove the stand.

Remove the back part of the frame and insert the mirror. Lock the back part. Hang the frame on the wall. Enjoy the work done.