Mr. Concrete artisan. How to make concrete leaves tutorial. part 1

[@squarebob62]

Thank You for the wonderfully detailed tutorial. 11 years later, it is the perfect timing for my elephant ear leaf collection before the 1st frost gets them... Salute !!!

[@mrconcreteartisan]

Thanks ,enjoy the hobby ,can get pretty addictive.😆

[@Freesingskills19]

you are a true artisan... great tutorial! your cement leaves have amazing detail! thank you

[@susanandlarrycarman9355]

I am starting my first leaf casting today!! Came back to this video for a quick refresher. Thanks again for the detailed info!

[@mrconcreteartisan]

Hey , you're welcome .Good luck and let me know how you made out.👍😉

[@susanandlarrycarman9355]

My small leaves turned out great! I am so excited. I am making a gift for my sister-in-law and I think it is going to look awesome!

[@stephaniefreeman4194]

Beautiful! My husband and I are trying this! Thank you!

[@mrconcreteartisan]

stephanie freeman That's great , let me know how it turns out for you.Careful can be addictive :) . Patients and practice are the keys to success.

[@cathyyeater771]

My husband and I did concrete leaves about 8 maybe 9 years ago and I would paint them and a man my husband knew would buy everyone I would make. Yes we knew he was taking them to the flea market to sell and make a profit which I didn't mind. We grew our own leaves and it was a fun hobby

[@mirandagreenia3382]

Headed to the store to go buy my materials! Hopefully this project works out. Your videos are so helpful, and they answer so many of my questions right away without me even having to ask haha! Thanks so much.

[@lauriemershon6849]

We want to make a cement rhubarb leaf bird bath. We are looking at sealing it for longevity. We are looking at SANI-TRED Permaflex but would appreciate your recommendation before we buy. Thank you for sharing your expertise and your beautiful work.

[@mrconcreteartisan]

A simple Behr product from home depot works just fine ,water based sealer and look for the " natural" that will keep it it's original colour.Thanks for the kind words!!

[@karenr.9471]

I’m so loving your work and truly appreciate your detailed tutorials. I made my first large leaf a few days ago and lifted it today. The sand brushes right off the surface. My leaf had a little fuzz on the back and I know you mentioned that being an issue. Could that be the problem, or maybe it’s still too damp?

[@mrconcreteartisan]

The leaf fuzz thing is a bit of a nemesis for us "Leafers". They stick like you know what,and on many occasions the cast look a bit underwhelming.

[@karenr.9471]

@@mrconcreteartisan the leaf came right off, clean. My sand bed was pretty damp, although there was plastic between it and the leaf and it’s been very humid here. I moved it to an air condition basement and will leave it a week or so and will see if it hardens

[@karenr.9471]

It has pretty nice detail too

[@suebuck1766]

will you give tell where we can order the poly fibers please.? thanks.. love your videos!!!

[@mrconcreteartisan]

Hey Bklair ,it's 3 sand to 1 Portland,I think in the vid the portland is sitting on top of a mound of sand.I agree, it does look different in the vid.

[@TheNinawitteveen]

Amazing tutorial, What exact Portland cement do you use (wish there was a pic of the bag you used lol)? Its my first time, So excited! I just want it to look smooth like yours. Thanks a bunch for your help

[@mrconcreteartisan]

Just type 10 portland you can get from any big box retailer.Glad you enjoyed the vid and good luck with your project.

[@pattecrampton3959]

I got very excited about making leaves and jumped right in last summer after watching all of your videos. I tried various leaves including castor bean, elephant ear and other large leaves I found on my walks and in neighbor's yard's (they didn't mind that I took them!). Some of the mixes I used were the extra strength concrete which left a nice texture, mortar, quickcrete mixed with sand and just plain quickcrete. I never used wire or fiber to reinforce them but always added concrete fortifier. So, now it's December and I've started experimenting with painting and staining my leaves only to find that many of them have cracked after I put on the paint. What happened?? I lost three of my favorites!

[@mrconcreteartisan]

That's really odd,actually cracked opened or did it just show a micro crack line ,that's normal.

[@pattecrampton3959]

Thank you for getting back with me. It happened to three of them one, a large elephant ear, cracked in half, right down the middle when I picked it up. The others have multiple cracks throughout. I'm waiting for the nylon fibers I ordered to arrive because I'm going to turn them over and put another layer or two of concrete hoping to reinforce them with the fibers. Is it possible I made them too thin and they cracked because I painted them with paint that was stored in the house (so it was warm) and after I painted them I brought them into the garage to dry, because it was going to rain, and the concrete floor was cold?? On another note, I love your videos. I could watch them all day. I'm struggling with the mess concrete makes...all over my deck and all over me. Your work shop looks so tidy and neat. How do you rinse off your tools and buckets/bowls? I'm afraid to do it in the sink because I'm afraid it will clog the drain. You're such an inspiration. Once COVID lifts, this spring, hopefully I will be able to sell them at craft fairs. I just want to be sure I'm selling a great product that will last. I would love to come up and train with you for a day. :-)

[@mrconcreteartisan]

@@pattecrampton3959 Hey Patte. Center breaks are the most common.Usually a couple reasons. The center is the biggest strain when picking it up by the sides.I really build up my centers and concentrate on thinner edges.Also the addition of fibres is huge as well you can put something called AR scrim in the back or 1/4 inch fencing wire. Make sure you let them cure a good long time before to much handeling.After the leaf is removed ,cover them with plastic out of the sun or indoors.I usually wait three weeks or more before painting. I wash all my stuff in 5 gal buckets, in the motning you can dump off the water and chuck the sludge.You''re right ,never in the sink!!

[@Bodyquest2]

wow I can't believe you answered so quickly. lol Thank you. I made some live leaf castings from cement before with Quickcrete and sand and the one that has more sand in is just rubs off. Not very sturdy at all. Could this be because I did not use bonding or fortifier?

[@trapperbruce]

im having a tough time to find green coloring agent any ideas where its easily available? thanks ..love the information you give

[@mrconcreteartisan]

www.amazon.ca/s?k=green+concrete+pigment&ref=nb_sb_noss Hope that helps ,also available at etsy and sculpture supply Canada

[@trapperbruce]

yes it helped thanks

[@TheNinawitteveen]

Just wondering if I really need the fibers? Can't find it here in Peterborough. I want to use the ready mixed concrete. Thanks

[@mrconcreteartisan]

Hello Nina ,no you don't have to ,but it really will ad longevity and strength to your leaf . You can order them on line from here ,it's out your way. www.sculpturesupply.com/list.php?sf=category&vl=Reinforcing+Materials

[@lavondacarter7228]

I just found your site on You Tube today, your work is absolutely beautiful, how long have you been doing this ?

[@mrconcreteartisan]

Leaves for about 7 years ,thanks for the kind words.

[@johnc6719]

And he's been lifting huge concrete blocks for 37 years.

[@heidifoster6755]

Thinking of trying this today! I've wanted a leaf bird bath for a long time! I was wondering though. Have you tried using kids kinetic sand? It holds shapes and is very finr. Do you think it would be easier than mixing all those ingredients and sifting ?

[@francoisegraham2415]

Hi love your tutorial Where can I buy poly nylon fibres ? Looked everywhere and coming up empty?

[@mrconcreteartisan]

Thanks for your question Francoise. Most places have switched to what's referred to as an AR fiber. What country are you in and I'll try and find you a source.

[@Meadows191]

i found acrylic fibers on Amazon.

[@mrconcreteartisan]

Here's a great product available online www.buddyrhodes.com/alkali-resistant-ar-glass-fiber/

[@mrconcreteartisan]

Hey again Bk,those fibres are tough to find you have to go to a commercial concrete supply store.If you are interested in more of my stuff and some other really creative people from all over the world,I am a administrator on a website called DIYmolds.com. It's an open forum type blog,you don't have to join.My name is thegris and I have a large section on more leaf work etc,please feel free to come and take a look.

[@KarenMcFadden1]

I know this is an old video but if you could give a list of materials it would help me. Can't seem to find poly nylon fiber thank you

[@Meadows191]

What can I do to fix stains left by my leaf? Did I remove the leaf too soon? Will bleach work? Thanks for the video, I love making these!

[@mrconcreteartisan]

No you didn't take it too soon , sometimes the concrete as it's curing creates a fair amount of heat,and actually cooks the leaf a bit,leaving some liquid that stains.You hit the nail on the head ,bleach it is with a soft plastic bristle brush.Be gentle.Pretty addictive ,huh?👍😉

[@kathleenquinton1841]

Hello. Thank you for these videos. I appreciate them a lot! Last year I tried a couple of rhubarb leaves and some smaller leaves and they turned out alright. This year I am trying to create several more types of leaves including gunnera. I bought the seeds online and am having a very hard to getting them to germinate. Do you have any advice or should I just fork out the bucks and buy a couple of plants? They are expensive!

[@mrconcreteartisan]

I tried seeds as well and they take forever to germinate,I broke down years ago and bought a plant .I now have like 8 or 9 of them. Think I paid $55 for mine 6 years ago.

[@oshasos]

Please help! In video you say 3 parts sand to 1 part Portland but it looks like the opposite in your dish???

[@cheriborisov4452]

What kind of concrete sealer do you use for your leaf water features?

[@munchkin5674]

Wow!! Your work is beautiful!! Could you tell me where to find the nylon fibers? Thanks!

[@mrconcreteartisan]

+munchkin5674 Thanks munchkin. I actually use a glass AR fibre now (alkaline resistant) Only because I sell commercially and want a long lasting product .But both the nylon and glass fibres should be available from a concrete supply or masonary store in your area. A company named Interstar also sells them online.Hope this helps.

[@zantana83]

I need help :( i have this eyesore flagpole mount that i cant remove from my yard so i thought id cover it up by making itthe mount for the top leaf a concrete leaf waterfall that goes in a semi circle but i need to figure out how to set the top leaf at an angle and how to mount the rest of the leaves. do you have any great tips for me?

[@mrconcreteartisan]

Well ,that could be a long question to answer.There are many ways of mounting and securing leaves for a water feature.If you go to our facebook page Unique garden art and gifts,there are some pictures of different water features.Ask me the question on FB and I can give you a more detailed answer.

[@Bodyquest2]

Wonderful! Thanks I will check it out. :)

[@nefnef3114]

what is this street bolding ?? how is it used? for what ? please Iam french my english is not very well

[@eunicemoore6517]

How long do you want to paint this? I have made one and anxious to paint it.

[@mrconcreteartisan]

Morning Eunice , I know we all get anxious to get a finish on them .We usually wait two to three weeks before paint.

[@robslaphead]

hi there, I want to try doing ur leaf idea in concrete. I'm from UK and was wondering can I use just normal concrete or is there a better material to use? thanks

[@mrconcreteartisan]

+Rob PrimeR .Yes, regular portland ,type 10 is just fine.Some folks are using a ready mix as well, with good results.Happy casting, and thank you for your question.

[@robslaphead]

Ok thanks mate it looks very interesting too, do u use acrylic paints on ur finished item with a protecting layer to make it safe for water?

[@mrconcreteartisan]

+Rob PrimeR That's right Rob,acrylic with a couple of coats of concrete sealer.

[@robslaphead]

Ok kewl, could I possibly use like an achieve glue spray or just pva glue?

[@tacotac10]

Ugh, why the heck can I not find these fibers at like, Home Depot or Menards? ...or some place local

[@vickieroskom5175]

can u use just the quickqurt and water.

[@mrconcreteartisan]

Hi Vickie. I know some folks have used the quickrete ready mix ,but it does have some large aggregate in it that makes it difficult for casting.

[@vickieroskom5175]

thanks just tryed with smaller ;eaf will see how it turns out ty.

[@mrconcreteartisan]

Let me know how it turned out.

[@cheriborisov4452]

I used the Quickrete, "Pro Finish Crack Resistant Concrete" that's Fiber Reinforced...but because our #MrConcreteArtisan said the rocks in those mixes are bad for casting I pulled out as many of the med.-large rocks as I could before mixing it. I also added some sifted sand and the acrylic fortifier like in the video to my mix since I wasn't sure how pulling out the rocks would effect the integrity of my concrete. It turned out great, a little rougher so I had to do more filing and use a large wet sponge on it to smooth it out, but I'm happy and proud of my leaf!

[@michellegclemens2910]

Can you give exact measurements to make one large leaf? Ty

[@mrconcreteartisan]

No such thing , you have to learn how much mix you will need . Every leaf is a little different ,thickness needed etc, make small batches to save on waste.Sorry no magic pill here.

[@radhabarus]

I just subscribe to your channel. Thank you for sharing with us. let me know if you hiring because I really really really want to work making those leafs. I live in British Columbia as well.

[@debpopov1297]

I am frustrated... you recommended a sealant and waterproof product but the company said it can't go over paint😏 did I misunderstand? Do you seal first then paint? The paint/sealant companies I called said you can't seal a painted concrete piece once it's painted. My application was for a bird bath so it has to be waterproof. I spent about 8 hours painting it so I'm ready to cry! Any recommendations

[@sharonbendtsen2973]

Where can someone get seeds for the Japanese rhubarb

[@Bodyquest2]

ps...also couldn't find mesh. Only nylon mesh bird netting or mesh weed retartardant at home Depot.

[@Bodyquest2]

Great video. Call me an idiot, but it looks like 3 parts portland and 1 part sand, but your vid says the opposite. Can you guesstemate about how much of each please? Thanks for sharing :)

[@Indusxstan]

sorry but you are indeed as ignorant as you suspect yourself to be. you don't mix 3 parts Portland with 1 part sand and anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of construction will confirm that.

[@kathynoel59]

You are just as ignorant in your knowledge of how to speak to people.