Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Or just order this kit from Amazon, which comes with everything all ready!


Why not try making something out of cement yourself? Here is the recipe for cement:

You’ll need a small bag of lime, a bag of sand, and some water.
On a piece of plastic, or outside on dirt, mix one shovelful of lime, three or four shovelfulls of sand, and enough water to make it all stick together in a paste. (or do one handful of lime, three or four handfulls of sand).

A man mixing concrete in a wheelbarrow

A man mixing concrete

Be careful not to touch the lime with your hands or it will eat little holes in your fingers that hurt. Wear rubber gloves. Use your gloved hands or wooden sticks to mold the cement into the shape you want, and leave it to dry. Be careful to clean up right away before the cement gets hard!!! To keep it from drying too fast, you may need to cover it with wet cloths or water it with a hose once in awhile.

Things you might make:

  • a flat place in your yard to play on?
  • some bricks to build something out of later?
  • a pathway through your garden?
  • a tile with your handprint in it?

If cement seems too hard, you could get the same idea by making PlayDough and letting it dry.

Here is a recipe for PlayDough:

In a large bowl mix
3 cups of flour
1 1/2 cups of salt
6 teaspoons of cream of tartar
3 cups water
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
Add a few drops of food coloring if you wish, any color.

Store in airtight container.
Don’t eat the PlayDough.

You could also make statues with the PlayDough.

More about Cement

Bibliography and further reading about cement:

Concrete
Roman Architecture
Quatr.us home