DIY Cement Test Tube Vase

It seems like only last week that we were complaining that we never have time to do crafts anymore (actually, it was).  That post reminded me that there actually is a craft that I haven’t shared with you all yet – and, yes, of course it involves cement!

It also involves my second favorite blog topic, stuff that we salvaged from the high school in my area before it was torn down.  We had cleaned out a bunch of old test tubes and beakers from the science classrooms and, because I am a hoarder, they’ve been sitting around in my basement ever since just waiting to be used.

Sage used a couple when she made a vase out of old chemistry supplies, so I was totally jealous and wanted to share my own creation, too!

For this very high-class craft, I assembled a set of matching test tubes, cement, and a mold made out of a cereal box.

If you’re going to try this or any cement project at home, please don’t forget that it is dangerous to work with.  You shouldn’t breathe in the dust, get it in your eye, or let the mixture come in contact with your skin.  If it touches your skin, wash right away.  You may not feel the burn at first, but you’ll feel the damage later!  You should always use gloves, goggles, and a mask of some kind.

I mixed the cement to be pretty watery, as I wanted it to easily fill the mold and knew this piece wouldn’t need to be super sturdy.

(I made a larger batch than that, but it gives an idea of the consistency I was going with.)

To stop the cement from sticking to the mold and soaking through the cardboard, I coated it in packing tape and slicked it with a bit of oil.  I then propped it up between two bricks (to help it maintain its shape), filled it with cement, and stuck the test tubes in at even intervals.

It took a little bit of work to get the test tubes evenly spaced and standing up straight.  I positioned them carefully and slowly, and did a lot of squinting at it from all angles.  Using a flat piece of wood along the top helped me get them stuck in at a uniform height.  I also paid attention to the markings on the tube, and lined them up to match so it wouldn’t look messy.

I then let it sit for a while (in this case about an hour since I was using quick cement, but I would have done overnight with the normal stuff), and carefully removed the mold.

I let it cure a while more outside of the mold, and then it was done.  That easy!

It is a fun way to display simple flowers.

I have always liked getting a bouquet and then dis-assembling it and spreading it around the house to share the cheer in all the rooms, and this sort of a vase really helps to do that.  (On a similar but actually totally unrelated note, I used to make my parents spread out the decorations and put a piece of christmas decor in every single room of the house, too.  But I don’t think we really need to get into that here and now.)

I like that it is a little organic with the variation in the cement, and a little modern/industrial, as well.  Also, I just really like making stuff out of cement 🙂

Thanks for checking it out!