Podcast: Concrete Crafts, Art and Décor

You’re listening to Direct Colors podcast Episode 38: Concrete Crafts, Art and Décor with Direct Colors Stains, Pigments and Sealer! If this is your first time listening, then thanks for joining us.  Concrete crafts, art and décor are becoming more and more popular with our customers, especially decorative concrete professionals, that make their living from the beautiful work they create. We are always amazed at what these fine artisans are able to produce with our stain, pigment and sealer products. Here to talk about some of the unique concrete craft projects she’s encountered and how our products contributed to the process is Direct Colors General Manager. Welcome back to the show, Shawna

ST:  Thank you, Tyler.

TT: So, is it true that the winner of this year’s End of Summer Facebook Photo Contest was a concrete artist?

ST:  That’s correct. Rebekah Dreisbach won the 2018 contest with her concrete vases. She used our 230 Black Concrete Pigment to create this really stunning marbled effect.  In fact, she had this to say in a Facebook review about her project earlier this summer:

“I stumbled upon Direct Colors randomly and I am so happy that I did. I started marking DIY Pinterest style concrete planters and decided to try and start a business making them. The quality of my work grew like crazy overnight with concrete pigment. I went to my first craft show this spring and got a wholesale order from one of the most sought after boutique shops while there. I do not think that would have happened without the dye. It allows me to create marbling and intense contract in my products that stands out from anything I’ve seen on the market. The customer service here is incredible. I had a lot of questions about the products that I was interested in and they spent a good amount of time on the phone making sure I got exactly what I needed.”

We were so proud to be a part of this and look forward to seeing what happens next for our winner!

TT:  Are you seeing a trend where concrete crafts and art is becoming more main stream?

ST:  I think so. In the past, concrete was only seen as a building material that came in one color! Now that high quality concrete overlays, pigments and stains, we have fine artists using our materials to make wall art worthy of a gallery exhibition. We had two concrete artists enter our contest this year, Donna Stewart Art and William Hall Art, with outstanding submissions. I’m both awed and wowed at what they can do and honestly, even after all the years and projects I’ve seen, I still can’t believe it. Donna works with our acid stains on overlay and William our concrete pigments. Each has displayed their work in gallery shows and all we can say is WOW!

TT: You’ve mentioned professionals using Direct Colors’ products for their work what about amateurs making something for their homes or gardens?

ST: No question concrete crafts are much more popular with the public and we’re seeing a wider variety of DIY concrete crafting ideas on Pinterest, Instagram and similar websites. There really are some fascinating projects out there and we enjoy working with our customers to get the results they’re looking for. A few months ago a customer sent a design consultation to our technicians about a décor project she wasn’t sure how to color. She had purchased pre-fabricated concrete otter statues. After discussing the project with her, we recommended both our concrete acid stain and Deco Gel acid stain to achieve the effect she described.  She was so pleased with the outcome that she later submitted her project for this year’s End of Summer Photo Contest.

Probably, the most common project customers use our products for are store bought statuary. Acid stain and Deco Gel acid stain are great options for coloring concrete statuary, especially water fountains and birdbaths because acid stain is a longest lasting color option available. We have another podcast on acid staining and sealing statuary I’d recommend to our listeners interested in concrete crafts or décor. Unfortunately, not all store bought statuary is created alike. Some are made with higher quality concrete than others so we always encourage our customers to do a test area on the statue base to make sure the material with react properly with the acid stain.

Having said that, more and more people are casting their own stepping stones, pavers and other décor using integrally colored concrete. What that means is adding powdered concrete pigment to the concrete before pouring for a solid color throughout. Pigment is super easy to use and if you’re trying to create a patio design with pavers, for example, it does give you the freedom to choose your own colors and create exactly what you want. We did a podcast on concrete pavers earlier this year if listeners would like to hear about that sort of project.

TT:  That’s great. Any closing thoughts about concrete crafts or art projects?

ST:  I’d just say that if you’re an artist, whether professional or not, and you’re thinking of working in a concrete medium, give it a try. I think you’ll be surprised about how relatively easy it is to work with and how many creative color options there are available on the market today. Our decorative concrete experts are always available to answer questions about our products and are happy to help. We hope all you budding concrete artisans out there will give us a call or send in an email about your next project!

TT:  Thanks, Shawna.  We hope our listeners will give concrete crafts a try. Sounds like a lot of fun! If you have questions, call one of our expert technicians at 877-255-2656 and we’ll help you select the best products and technique for your needs.  If you prefer email, send in a free online design consultation and we’ll get back to you within 24-48 hours.