Making Cement Garden Ornaments
- Many crafters start with a purchased mold for their garden ornaments because making the mold can be the most-challenging part of the process. To make a mold for a garden ornament, an artisan carves or shapes a model for it in clay, plaster, stone or wood. The figure is covered with layers of rubber or latex then coated with fiberglass to form a hard, supportive shell. Molds for simple shapes like stepping stones and small, flat markers and plaques may be made in one piece. When the fiberglass has hardened, the model is removed and the mold is finished. For more complex pieces, the fiberglass shell is cut away in pieces which will be reassembled around the latex inner shell. The fiberglass shell will support the shape when the cement is poured into it.
- Once the mold for the garden ornament is assembled, the artisan brushes the interior with a mold release, which can be as simple as canola or vegetable oil. The cement is mixed with a filler such as builder's sand or marble dust, and then water is added to make concrete. The artisan then pours the concrete mixture into the mold, sometimes in stages to allow any air bubbles to rise to the surface. When the mold is filled, the surface is covered with plastic and allowed to dry and harden in a cool, dry place. The length of hardening time varies with the size and shape of the cement casting.
- Once the cement casting has set up for the required length of time, the artisan removes the mold from the ornament. If the mold was in several pieces, the fiberglass support is deconstructed. In most cases, unmolding the cement ornament is the last step in the process. If the finished product will be displayed outside, however, the piece may be finished with a concrete sealant.
- Cement garden ornaments can be colored by adding oxide to the cement while mixing the concrete. When concrete statues are colored this way, the color goes all the way through so that chips and weather damage don't show as easily. Artisans may also choose to add a strengthening agent like Weldbond to the cement mix to increase the strength and durability of the finished ornament. Concrete forms and ornaments may also be strengthened by pouring the concrete around a core of chicken wire or styrofoam.