Just Jack!!!

Monday, September 28, 2020

Happy Autumn Folks!

Nothing like being fashionably late to the party!

The Autumn party that is.

If you see any of my stuff, you know that I’m a huge DIYer. I love creating with the rustic side of things. I love most anything rustic! Concrete can be pretty rustic. I enjoy creating centerpieces for my dining table using the inexpensive to showcase a bit of obsession I have with flowers.

So I created a cement bowl using a plastic jack-o-lantern.

This was not my DIY idea but a borrowed idea from @toni_marianna.

You must check her out on Instagram.

This all began with a plastic jack-o-lantern candy holder from Walmart that I cut in half to create the mold. I cut the plastic pumpkin into two equal pieces, vertically from top to bottom, using yard shears and scissors. Following the steps from @toni_marianna, I taped the plastic jack-o-lantern back together on the outside. Using cooking oil, I greased the mold liberally and the plastic glass as well. I mixed my cement Quick-Crete in a small bucket, following the directions on the bag, and poured it into the plastic jack-o-lantern, about three quarters full. I then used a plastic glass to create the hollowed center.

I filled the glass with rocks to weight it down.

After about 2 hours I removed the plastic.

My pumpkin, when dry, has air pockets. Although I tapped the outside of the mold after the concrete was poured I still had the air pockets. It was recommended to use FastSet, All-Crete. You probably wouldn’t get the air pockets with this type of mortar mix.

I removed the mold after the top was dry and very firm. I recommend that you grease/oil up your mold and glass very well before using. The glass in the center did not remove as planned and I had to break the glass to remove it.

With my cement pumpkin complete and ready to decorate with… I bought some grocery store flowers. I recommend that you use a jar or vase to place in the hole to hold water. Notice that I have a plastic cup placed in the hole. Hardened cement will not hold water due to it’s porous surface and it will pass through it and will leave water marks on furniture.

A Table Centerpiece

Using my grocery store flowers I styled them the best way possible for my dining table.

This wasn’t an expensive bouquet just $12.00 in all. I picked this bouquet for the sunflower.

Sunflowers are happy flowers. They add warmth to a room. They really do bring such a warm smile to a room and even on their own- amazing.

Those orange- yellow, red, and white blooms are bright and sunny!

Just what my concrete jack needed.

Adding some candles for the ambiance…

Using my branding iron candle holders with orange candles, I added copper votives and some old found brown bottles with candles for a bit of a moody vibe.