Chip and Dip Flowers Anyone?

I thought I would give cement garden stones a try. I saw a post using a chip and dip tray from the Dollar Store as a form so that's what I decided to use first. I also picked up some smaller pot trays to try and I also found a tray shaped like a star so I grabbed it as well.

I started with a 60 pound bag of quick set concrete mix. I used a small bucket and about six cups of cement and added water until I got the right consistency. Pretty much looks like a batch of fudge brownies. Six cups will not fill the chip tray so just keep making up batches until you get it filled. The weight of my pail and stirring that amount was easy for me to work with.

The cement should "plop" off of your trowel and not be too thin and watery.

Spray your form with Pam or any oil substance. Vegetable spray is the easiest. Once you have the mix ready start filling your tray. I used my trowel to tap in the cement and then I used the flat side of the trowel to flatten and smooth across the top (tray on left).

When I made the chip and dip flowers I realized I needed to build up the center; otherwise the "petals" would not stay attached. If I make them again I would build up from the center to as much of the edge as I could. I let the tray sit for a bit before I started adding more cement to build up.

These were made with pot trays. I tried putting marbles in after the form was set a bit, but I don't like how that turned out.

The stones can be painted so you have lots of choices. Be aware that your cement conforms to whatever is on the tray. Like I now have a reverse 8" stone. Ha. I even tried covering with tape and the edge of the tape showed Also had a crack in the plastic and the crack showed.

They do look like flowers!

The star turned out fairly well. The points are a bit thin but once on the ground that was hidden.

Not too bad for Fourth of July or a red, white and blue theme.

Adding more color to match my lounge cushion.

Remember the reverse 8"? I decided to add marbles and stones. I used E6000. At first I wasn't too happy with how they looked, but once outside in the sunlight they sparkle and actually are quite pretty.

This is what happens if you screw up! I did not build up the center the first time I tried making the flower and it fell apart. You can still use them; just don't put them next to the correctly done flowers. I also tried a different dip and chip tray and it didn't work.

*Pics are dated 2011 but this project was done in Sept/Oct 2016!

Something fun from Mike Rowe. Seems I should not be saying cement!

"Kyle blamed a general level of ignorance for the overall lack of interest in the trades. I asked him to elaborate, and Kyle told me about a children’s book called “Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site.” Kyle was home a few night[sic] earlier, listening from the other room as his wife read the book to his young son, Beckett.

“I wasn’t exactly eavesdropping,” he said, “but something jumped out at me I couldn’t ignore. “My wife read a line that said, “Spinning a churning all day long, Cement Mixer sings his whirly song.”

Kyle shook his head in disbelief, recalling the sacrilege, and I smiled, knowing what was coming next.

“A Cement Mixer!” said Kyle. “Can you believe that sh*t! What the hell is a “cement mixer?”

I learned a long time ago the many differences between concrete and cement are significant, and confusing the two is a source of great consternation for men like Kyle.

“I mean seriously, Mike. This is what we’re fighting against! Cement doesn’t need to be mixed in a truck!! It shows up in bags!!! It’s already mixed!!! It’s a powder made of limestone, calcium, silicon, iron, and aluminum…I mean come on! This is basic stuff, right?!

“So what did you do?” I asked.

Kyle took a drink and shook his head ruefully. “I did the only thing I could. I corrected the situation.”

What do you mean, corrected the situation?”

“Well," he said. "I took a pen and scratched out “Cement.” Then I wrote in “Concrete.”

Look how cute when you add Dollar Store gems.

Suggested materials:

• Cement
• Trays
• Paint, marbles
• Vegetable spray
• Gems