Are you looking to update your home and garden with some décor on a budget? Finding décor that matches the style you want when you don't have much to spend can seem like an impossible task. Fortunately, you can make your own décor, as long as you have a bag of ready mix concrete.

Vases for Your Patio

Why not update your patio with beautiful potted plants? You can use ready mix concrete to create unique looking vases. You will need to do the following to make your vase:

• Use a glass or plastic bottle with a wide mouth, so you can easily fill it with the concrete mixture
• Push a test tube into the middle of the bottle to create an opening where you can place your flowers
• Allow the concrete to sit (based on the recommended amount of time found on your package of concrete) and fully harden
• Break the glass bottle gently or use a box cutter to remove the plastic bottle from around the concrete
• Break the test tube carefully to remove it from the center of the vase

Once you have your vase, you can paint it or decorate it however you like. All that you will need afterward are some flowers to showcase in your new DIY concrete vase.

Concrete Stools

If you have been yearning to buy stools for your kitchen counter or bar, you have likely been shocked by some of the high prices you've seen in the stores. Working with a limited budget means obtaining the stools you want in a creative way. You can use ready mix concrete, a cake pan with a matching side, pipe flanges, and some metal or wooden stool legs to make affordable DIY stools. To do this, you will need to do the following:

• Mix your concrete as instructed on the package
• Pour the concrete into a cake pan of your choosing (make sure it is a suitable size for a stool seat)
• Tap the pan to remove any air bubbles
• Wait for the concrete to settle and then place the pipe flanges about an inch and a half into the surface of the concrete
• Wait the recommended amount of time for the concrete to harden
• Undo the latch from the side of the cake pan so you can remove your stool carefully
• Screw the legs of your stool into the pipe flanges
• Sand the concrete as needed for smoothness and appearance

Once you are finished, you can leave the stools as they are for a modern industrial look or you can choose to paint them or cover them in fabric, if you wish.

Contact a ready mix concrete supplier like P & L  Concrete Products Inc & Garden Center, to obtain what you need to make your DIY home and garden décor.