Faux Concrete Bookends You Won’t Believe

Create DIY faux concrete bookends using concrete finish, craft foam, and paint. These are so unique, look great, and easy to make!

I recently got some of the new FolkArt Painted Finishes and have been dying to try the concrete finish. I love how concrete looks in decor, but have no idea how to create something with real cement!

So this simple-to-use faux finish is perfect! I had an idea to create some faux cement bookends, and I love how easy they were to make and how cute they turned out. Use whatever letters of the alphabet you like. Here’s how they were made.

Faux Concrete Bookends

Supplies

• FloraCraft Styrofoam cubes
• FloraCraft Smooth Finish
• Spatula/putty knife
• Cardboard letters
• FolkArt Light Concrete Painted Finish
• Craft paint
• Paint brushes

Coat the Foam with Smooth Finish

I used a foam cube as the base of the bookend. I just learned about this FloraCraft Smooth Finish, which fills the cracks of the foam to make a smooth surface you can embellish in SO MANY ways. It’s a game-changer!

I applied two coats of the Smooth Finish to the cube using a putty knife.

Let it dry and set before moving onto the next step.

Apply the Concrete Finish

After the Smooth Finish dried completely, I was ready to apply the concrete finish!

I dabbed the concrete finish on the cube. You can see in the picture that it has a grit to it, which makes it nearly impossible to mess up, since bumps and cracks are what make it look like real cement!

Next, I applied the concrete finish to the cardboard using the same method as the cube.

Again, let dry completely.

Glue Letter to the Cube

Then, I glued the letter to the cube using a hot glue gun.

Touch Up with Concrete Finish

I wanted it to look like one piece of cement, so I used the concrete finish to fill in the seams between the letter and the cube.

Tape Off and Paint the Base

Last of all, I add a pop of color to the bottom of the cube. I just taped, painted, and let dry.

Tip: if you need to put something non-skid on the bottom of your bookends, you can add some cork! Just hot glue it on.

How cool is that texture from the concrete finish?!

What do you think of my faux concrete bookends!? What would you make with this concrete finish? And be sure to visit us as we blog about style, food, and the things we love over at the Pretty Life Girls where you can find other fun DIY projects like these DIY Cement Hanging Planters!

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If you like these cement bookends, you’re going to love these pineapple DIY bookends. There are also a few other concrete/cement projects I think you need to see from both myself and my friends:

• DIY Concrete Candle Holders From Plastic Bottles
• DIY Faux Concrete Vase
• Faux Concrete Ornaments for a Unique Tree
• How to Make Cement Coasters