Creative Ways You Could Use Your Leftover Concrete

If you are currently undertaking or planning to undertake a DIY project that involves the use of concrete, whether it be laying down a new concrete driveway or garage floor, then you may find yourself with leftover concrete that you have no use for.

Whilst it may be better to have more than you need than not enough to complete what you need it for, you don’t want to waste this excess concrete - especially if you paid for it! So, what do you do with it? We’ve listed a few simple yet effective ideas below for how you can use any excess concrete you are left with.

Plant Pots

Concrete is a great material to make plant pots out of. For outdoor plants, it can be used to create sturdy pots that are unassuming and fit with the rest of your garden decor without standing out as an ill-fitting eyesore. For indoor plants, concrete plant pots really add to an industrial or rustic aesthetic that not only allows the luscious greens of your plants to pop when left as is, but can also be painted to match the colour palette of the room you use them in.

To make these, you’ll simply need to find a suitably sized mould you want your plant pots to be that you can pour your cement into, or you could even make your own! You could even make a matching drainer for the plant pot to sit on, as well.

Bookends

Another great use for leftover concrete, especially if you’ve only got a small amount left, is bookends. In fact, concrete is a particularly good material to make these out of thanks to its strength, meaning it will offer the stability required of bookends to keep books in place.

Although you can buy specific moulds in different shapes, you could easily make your own classic ‘L’ shaped bookend mould at home using some old, deep takeaway or ice-cream tubs. All you’d need to do is fill one corner of the tub with something that is rectangular shaped but doesn’t fit the whole length or width of the tub, so that the remaining space creates an ‘L’ shape, ensuring that this is secured properly with no gaps that the concrete could potentially seep into otherwise.



Fire Pit

If you’re looking to use your concrete to make something a bit more elaborate, then making your own fire pit is certainly feasible, if you have the space for it in your garden. Many people pay a pretty penny to have a fire pit installed in their garden, with concrete fire pits looking especially bespoke and luxurious, impressing any guests that come over, so why not make one yourself if you’ve got the resources to?

There are a number of ways you could do this; first, you could use a mould (in any shape you want, such as square, round, hexagonal etc.) and pour your concrete into this, or alternatively you could use your concrete to make bricks, then use these to build your fire pit for a more rustic appearance.

If you require ready mix concrete for delivery for your project, here at Forth Valley Concrete we supply DIY ready mix concrete that is easy to use and perfect for construction novices. Get in touch with us today for your free quote and more information.