How to Make Concrete Bookends

The inspiration for this project was this pair of 1970s statues. They were ready for a makeover to take them into the 21st century. These still appear to be readily available on eBay although I (Vicki) got this pair for fifty cents at a yard sale.

• Concrete (already sifted of large rocks)
• Plastic mixing bowls
• Trowel
• Water
• Plastic building bricks (We used faux Duplos)
• Plexiglass scrap
• Hardware cloth
• Tin snips
• Gloves
• Plastic wrap
• Vintage statues (there are lots of these on eBay)
• Flat gray spray paint
• White Milk Paint
• T-shirt rags

You'll notice there is an extra concrete project in this video along with the bookends. While the concrete bookends were drying, we made a bunch of tea candle holders using the foam packing from a shipment of peaches!

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We are using faux LEGO bricks to create the mold for the bookends. Since they are plastic, the concrete releases easily from them.

To determine the height and width of the vertical portion of the bookend, we laid the statues down and created a form around them with the bricks.

To add a little structural strength, we cut a piece of hardware cloth to the width of the mold but about an inch longer. This extra inch is folded up.

Before using the concrete, we sifted out the large rocks using a wire fry basket. You could instead, use one of the many rockless concrete mixes on the market which would be easier than sifting out the rocks. Rapid-Set is a favorite of ours although it does really set up fast.

Mix the concrete according to the instructions. Be sure to wear appropriate protective gear such as gloves, eye protection, and a mask.

To each mold, we added a layer of concrete, then added a piece of hardware cloth to each one, and then filled the mold to the top. We used a sander to help vibrate out any trapped air bubbles. Lastly, we covered the pieces with plastic wrap and let them cure for 20 hours.

The molds were placed on a scrap of plexiglass so they would release easily.

To create the base, we added the statues and vertical pieces into the mold and rebuilt it to the size we needed. We also built up the back in order to support the vertical pieces while they were drying.

Before casting the statues into the concrete, each was spray-painted flat grey and then a wash of milk paint was used to create a faux concrete look. We did something similar here with flower pots using DecoArt Gesso and their enamel paint.

With the statues painted it was time to mold them into bookends. We added a thin layer of concrete to the molds and then added the vertical pieces (with the hardware cloth edge down into the mold) and statues, taking care that the statues were facing the right way. The molds were filled with concrete. To keep the vertical pieces in place, we used a small bungee cord to secure the pieces to their brick back support.

We vibrated the molds, covered them with plastic wrap, and let them cure for 20 hours. They released easily.

There were a few areas of the concrete that needed touching up so we used Quikrete Quick Setting Concrete to make the repairs.

Add your favorite books and enjoy! These bookends now live on Steph's mantel and have her Harry Potter book collection.

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