Concrete #StarWars Magnets & Pushpins: Easy DIY Father's Day Gift

by Shelly@The Domestic Heart

Easy

Yippee! It’s our 5th month of the Home Depot Gift Challenge and things are really heating up! This month Amanda over at Dwelling in Happiness had the pick, and she chose concrete as our item and a father as our gift recipient, as this Sunday is Father’s Day. Be sure to check out the last 4 challenge projects: copper fittings, wood dowels, pegboard & and 2x4s.

This month’s item was by far the most challenging for me. I’ve never worked with concrete before, and I have to admit I was stumped at first. I couldn’t think of anything I could actually successfully create out of concrete, being a concrete novice and all. Further complicating matters was the fact that I really wanted to create something that my dad would like and use – and trust me, that’s not an easy task, even when there is no concrete involved!

But, I did a little research and some brainstorming, and finally came up with a super simple gift that anyone can make – even if you’re not a concrete pro! Plus, I’m pretty sure my dad will dig it. I’m a bit of a sci-fi nerd, so even I think they are pretty sweet!

Do you know a dad who could use a few {awesome} magnets and pushpins for their office? These magnets and push pins make a great gift for and were so simple to make and I’m gonna tell you exactly what to do!

Here’s what you need:

Fast-setting concrete like Quikrete

Silicone molds of your choice – I used the Star Wars Silicone Ice Trays

Plastic cup and spoon for mixing

Clear pushpins

Extra strong crafting magnets

Step 1: Add a little water to the bottom of your plastic cup, then add some concrete on top and mix. Keep mixing water and concrete until you reach a consistency similar to thin pudding. You want the mixture to be soupy enough that the concrete will flow into all the crevices and create those nice details from the molds.

Step 2: Work quickly, pouring the concrete into the molds, trying not to let them over flow. Work the concrete into the mold with the spoon, then tap the mold on your work surface a few times the help the concrete settle. Remove any large pebbles that are sticking out on top.

Step 3: After a few minutes come back to your mold and insert the pushpins and magnets. Don’t wait too long, only about 5 minutes. Allow to dry for at least 12 hours.

Step 4: Remove from the silicone molds. You must be very gentle if removing these before they are completely dry, as the concrete will be brittle until it cures.

Ta-da! Wasn’t that simple? My favorite is either the Millennium Falcon or the frozen Han Solo. Which is your favorite?

I really hope you enjoyed today’s post and got a little inspiration for Father’s day or some other gift. What would you make if faced with the same challenge? I’d love to know!

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1 question

Brenda Peters on Jun 15, 2018

Where to get the molds

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Linda Roberts on May 03, 2017

With the Darth Vader or Starship add alot of black ffod color to the water....looks awesome !

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CyberYadda on Jun 15, 2018

Now that's on helluva creative mind gf! How incredably 1-of-a-kind.well until now that is. Hehehe

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