3 Easy DIY Concrete Projects That Look Like Stone, Travertine & Vintage Pottery

Concrete doesn't have to mean cold, gray, and industrial. I've been messing around with it lately and found you can make it look like stone, vintage pottery, or sculptural art. I tried three different techniques — towel-draped bowls, poured travertine-style trays, and a rope-coiled vase that looks like it came out of a 1970s pottery studio. Here's how each one went.

• Cement All (or any fine-grain concrete mix without aggregate)
• Mixing bucket and stir stick
• Gloves (cement burns your skin — don't skip these)
• Plastic sheeting or trash bags for cleanup
• Sandpaper (80 to 220 grit)
• Paint (acrylic craft paint, cement pigments, or both)
• Dirt (yes, actual dirt — for aging)

Each project also needs its own specific supplies, listed below.

These are the easiest. You're basically making a cement-soaked fabric drape over a form.

You'll need: - An old towel (cut in half) - A planter or bowl (to use as a mold) - A plastic bag (to line the mold so cement doesn't stick) - Paint (optional — I went white)

Cut your towel into a rough circle or oval. Fold it into quarters, cut a curve, unfold — you get a circle. Doesn't need to be perfect.

Line your planter with a plastic bag. I stacked two paint cans inside a smaller planter to raise the center, so the towel would hang and drape. You want the fabric to touch the rim but not the ground underneath.

Mix your cement to a thin soup consistency. Dunk the towel, squish it around until fully saturated, then drape it over the planter. Let the folds fall naturally. I brushed a thicker layer of cement onto the towel after draping — that smooths out the texture and adds strength.

Let it dry for a few hours (or overnight). Wiggle it off the mold. Trim any loose fibers.

I painted mine white because I wanted it to feel like a clean sculptural piece. Cement soaks up paint like crazy — you might need two coats or a primer. But you could leave it raw too.

I made twelve of these. Ended up with a collection. They're addictive.

You'll need: - Silicone tray mold (I got mine on Amazon — reusable, cement won't stick) - Cement pigment (or craft paint for color) - Optional: extra bits of colored cement for terrazzo effect

Mix your cement to a thick pancake batter consistency. Add pigment or paint — I used a Home Depot cement pigment for one batch, craft paint (yellow + burnt umber) for another.

Pour into the mold. Get the air bubbles out — tap the sides, vibrate the mold on a piece of cardboard for 3–4 minutes. It's tedious but worth it.

Cement All cures in about two hours. Demold carefully — it's satisfying, but go slow. The surface comes out glossy, almost like porcelain.

Techniques I tried: - Solid color: just pigment mixed in — clean, modern. - Travertine look: don't mix the color all the way. Leave streaks and swirls. That subtle veining? That's the paint not fully blended. - Terrazzo: make thin sheets of colored cement on plastic wrap, break them into flakes, sprinkle into the mold, then pour a base color over. You have to sand the top afterward to reveal the flakes — wet sand with 80 grit, work up to higher grits. It's labor-heavy but looks legit. - Tie-dye: splatter paint into the mold before pouring cement. The colors swirl as the cement fills in. - Three-color pour: mix three separate batches with different pigments, pour them into the mold at random. It came out looking like river rock or camouflage — my favorite.

I haven't sealed these yet because I don't want that wet-looking finish. Still hunting for a matte sealer. If you know one, drop it in the comments.

This one almost failed. Saved it by freezing and hot water. You'll see.

You'll need: - Rope (natural fiber — jute or sisal works) - A plastic bowl (to use as a form) - Plastic wrap or cooking oil (to prevent sticking) - Paint (dark brown, amber, khaki, black) - Dirt (for aging)

Mix cement to thin soup again. Soak the rope in small batches (it tangles easily). Wear gloves.

Coil the soaked rope around the plastic bowl, starting at the bottom. Press each coil tight against the next. Don't leave gaps. If you run out, just start another piece where you left off — no need to tie.

When you reach the top, cut the rope and tuck the end in. Then brush a thin layer of cement over the whole surface to bond the coils together.

The demolding nightmare: My bowl would not come off. I put it in the freezer for 30 minutes, poured hot water into the bowl, let it sit 5 minutes, flipped it over, and poured hot water on the outside. It popped off. I don't know which step did it, but it worked.

You can leave the rope texture visible inside, or cover it with more cement for a smoother interior. I left mine mostly raw.

Painting for vintage effect: I mixed dark amber, light khaki, brown, and black — no formula, just slapped it on with a brush, sponging and dabbing. Let some areas stay lighter, some darker. Then I mixed water with dirt and brushed that over the dried paint. Let it dry. That's the "I dug this up in a field" look.

Final result: it looks like an old pottery bowl. Also a little bit like an avocado. You decide.

• Cement All cures fast — work in small batches.
• Wear gloves. Seriously. Cement burns.
• Silicone molds rule for trays; plastic bowls with wrap work for the rope pot.
• If you want deep black, use cement pigment — craft paint won't get you there.
• Unsealed concrete will stain. If you're using trays for jewelry or coasters, seal them first. I'm still testing matte options.

I'm partial to the travertine trays and the avocado bowl. But the fabric bowls are the easiest entry point if you're new to concrete. Start there.