{"title":"How to Make Concrete Letters for Garden Decor","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/crafts/how-to-make-concrete-letters","category":{"slug":"crafts","name":"Crafts"},"creator":{"name":"Travis DeRose","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfx5zKuqoZue1F7A1joRCUA","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClKmudAQc8w"},"tldr":"How to make concrete letters with cardboard craft letters as molds. Which mix to use, curing time, display ideas and fixes for a rough finish.","quickAnswer":"How to make concrete letters with cardboard craft letters as molds. An easy project: about 1 hour, plus 48 hours to dry or set. Materials cost about $20 to $40. You need 12 things, including cardboard papier mache letters, concrete mix or sand mix and water. The 9 steps start with gather Cardboard Letters and Concrete Mix for Concrete Letters, cut the Top Off Each Cardboard Letter to Make a Mold and hot Glue Coupling Nuts Inside the Letter Molds (Optional).","totalDurationSeconds":481,"videoDurationSeconds":481,"difficulty":"easy","project":{"difficulty":"easy","projectMinutes":60,"waitMinutes":2880,"totalMinutes":2940,"estimatedCost":{"currency":"USD","min":20,"max":40},"yield":"1 set of 4 letters"},"tools":["craft knife","5 gallon bucket","margin trowel or small shovel","hot glue gun (optional)","work gloves","dust mask"],"materials":["cardboard papier mache letters","concrete mix or sand mix","water","newspaper","coupling nuts (optional)","clear concrete sealer (optional)"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Gather Cardboard Letters and Concrete Mix for Concrete Letters","text":"Pick up cardboard papier mache letters for your word. Craft stores carry them, and online shops have the larger sizes. You also need a bag of concrete mix, a bucket for mixing, a strong stirring tool, a craft knife and newspaper to protect the floor. Coupling nuts and a glue gun are optional if you want to stake the letters into the ground later."},{"number":2,"title":"Cut the Top Off Each Cardboard Letter to Make a Mold","text":"Use a craft knife to cut around the edge of one flat face of each letter, then peel that face away. What is left is an open tray shaped like the letter. Decide now which side will be the front. The side that faces down inside the mold comes out smoother, so many makers cut off the back and use the bottom as the face."},{"number":3,"title":"Hot Glue Coupling Nuts Inside the Letter Molds (Optional)","text":"If you want to stand the concrete letters up in the lawn, hot glue a threaded coupling nut to the inside edge of each mold. The nut sets into the concrete. Later you can screw a bolt or threaded rod into it and push it into the ground like a stake. Travis did not end up using his, but it keeps your display options open."},{"number":4,"title":"Mix the Concrete in a Bucket","text":"Lay the open molds flat on newspaper. Put on gloves, pour the dry mix into a bucket and add water a little at a time, following the bag directions. Mix with a sturdy trowel or small shovel. A wooden paint stick is not strong enough, and the delay let Travis's first batch start setting before he poured."},{"number":5,"title":"Scoop Concrete Into the Cardboard Letter Molds","text":"Spoon the wet concrete into each letter mold with a trowel. Push it into every corner and along the thin strokes. Fill each mold right to the top edge. Work quickly so the whole batch goes in before it starts to stiffen in the bucket. Move from letter to letter rather than perfecting one at a time."},{"number":6,"title":"Press and Smooth the Concrete in Each Letter","text":"Press the concrete down firmly with the trowel, then gently tap or jiggle each mold to bring air bubbles to the surface. Smooth the top as flat as you can. Whatever you see now is how the finished letter looks if this side faces up, so take your time here. Scrape off any extra from the edges."},{"number":7,"title":"Peel the Cardboard Mold Off the Cured Concrete Letters","text":"Let the concrete cure for at least 48 hours. Waiting a full week is even better, because the cardboard dries out and lets go more easily. Then peel the cardboard sides away, working slowly around each letter. If you are careful, the molds can survive for a second pour. These letters came out about an inch thick and solid."},{"number":8,"title":"Make a Second Batch for Smoother Concrete Letters","text":"Travis's first set came out rough because the mix had started to set. He mixed a second batch the right way, poured it straight away and got a much smoother finish. Once cured, he tore the worn cardboard off rather than saving it. For an even finer face, try a sand mix or countertop mix with smaller stones."},{"number":9,"title":"Set the Finished Concrete Letters in the Garden","text":"Choose where your letters will live. Here they are pressed into red landscape rock like stepping stones, spelling SISU along the front yard. You can also lean them against a wall or stake them into grass with the coupling nuts. Nestle each letter in so it sits level and does not rock when bumped."}],"commonProblems":[],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-10-23T14:20:00.346Z","published":"2026-10-23T14:20:00.045Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit Show Me Step by Step with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure. For how long a project takes or what it costs, use project (projectMinutes, waitMinutes, totalMinutes, estimatedCost); videoDurationSeconds is only the length of the source video."}