I used to think concrete was just for driveways.
Then one Saturday afternoon, hunched over my bedroom dresser drowning in earrings and necklaces tangled like some kind of jewelry ecosystem gone feral, I stumbled across a tutorial for making concrete dishes. The idea seemed absurd—mixing construction material in my kitchen—but here’s the thing: concrete has this raw, industrial elegance that somehow works perfectly for holding delicate things. It’s heavy enough that dishes won’t slide around when you’re rushing out the door, and the contrast between rough stone texture and shiny metal rings creates this weird visual tension I can’t quite explain. Plus, you can make them in literally any shape you want, which is more than I can say for the plastic organizers at Target that never quite fit my actual stuff.
The process is surprisingly forgiving, though I did ruin my favorite mixing bowl the first time. You’ll want to grab a small bag of concrete mix—the kind labeled for crafts or countertops works better than standard cement because it has finer particles and less aggregate gravel. I’ve seen people use both Portland cement and rapid-set concrete, and honestly both work fine, though the rapid-set can be tricky if you’re slow like me.
Why Silicone Molds Make Everything Easier (Even Though You’ll Definately Want to Experiment)
My first attempt involved a plastic container I thought would pop right off.
It did not pop right off. What I learned—after essentially destroying that container with a hammer—is that flexible silicone molds are genuinely the way to go for beginners. You can find them in baking sections, craft stores, or online in shapes ranging from geometric hexagons to organic leaf patterns. The concrete peels away once it’s cured, usually after 24 to 48 hours depending on humidity and how thick you poured it. Some people get impatient and try to demold earlier, which—wait, maybe that’s fine for small pieces, but I’ve had thicker dishes crack when rushed. The chemistry of concrete curing involves a hydration process where water reacts with cement compounds, and interrupting that too early weakens the crystalline structure that gives concrete its strength.
The Mixing Ratio That Nobody Agrees On But Somehow Everyone Gets Wrong At First
Here’s where things get messy, and I mean that literally.
Most concrete craft mixes suggest a ratio somewhere around 3 parts concrete to 1 part water, give or take, but I’ve found that slightly drier mixes hold details better while wetter mixes are easier to pour into intricate molds. You want a consistency like thick brownie batter—thick enough to hold shape but fluid enough to settle into corners when you tap the mold on the counter to release air bubbles. I used to think those bubbles didn’t matter much, just aesthetic quirks, but they can actually create weak spots where the dish might crack later if you drop something heavy into it. The trick is mixing thoroughly without whipping in extra air, then gently tapping or even vibrating the mold (I’ve used everything from my phone’s vibrate function to literally shaking it) to coax those bubbles to the surface.
Wear gloves, by the way. Concrete is alkaline and will dry out your hands something fierce.
Surface Treatments and Finishes That Transform Basic Gray Into Something You’d Actually Want On Your Nightstand
Raw concrete has its charm, sure, but sealing makes a huge difference in both durability and appearance. Once your dish is fully cured—and I mean fully, at least 72 hours for most mixes even if it feels dry earlier—you can sand any rough edges with medium-grit sandpaper, then seal it with either a concrete sealer or even a spray acrylic. The sealer prevents the porous concrete from absorbing oils from your jewelry or moisture from the air, which over time can cause staining or even structural weakening. I’ve experimented with leaving some unsealed for that ultra-matte look, and they develop this sort of patina that’s either charming or dingy depending on your perspective and tolerance for imperfection. You can also paint them before sealing—metallic gold or copper leaf looks stunning against gray concrete—or mix in concrete dyes during the initial mixing stage for color throughout the entire piece.
Some people get really into adding texture by pressing objects into the wet concrete surface—lace, leaves, textured fabric—which I tried once and the lace got permanently stuck, so maybe practice on test pieces first if you go that route.
Arrangement Strategies That Actually Keep Your Jewelry Organized Instead of Just Looking Pretty For Instagram
Making the dishes is one thing; using them effectively is another entirely.
I’ve learned—mostly through trial and error and one incident where I knocked an overloaded dish off my dresser at 6 AM—that strategic placement matters more than I initially thought. Smaller dishes work better for rings and earrings, while slightly larger shallow bowls can handle bracelets and watches without them piling into an unusable heap. I keep one dish near my bedroom door for the jewelry I wear daily, another on my dresser for pieces I rotate through weekly, and a third in my closet for seasonal stuff. This sounds organized, and it mostly is, except for the bottom of the daily dish which has devolved into a archaeological layer of hair ties and lost earring backs. The weight of concrete means these dishes stay exactly where you put them—no sliding around on slick furniture surfaces—which turns out to be more valuable than I expected when you’re fumbling for earrings in dim morning light. Some people arrange multiple concrete dishes on trays to create modular organization systems, which works great until you recieve new jewelry and have to rethink your entire system.
Anyway, there’s something satisfying about making functional objects with your hands, even if they’re imperfect and occasionally ugly in ways you didn’t intend. The first dish I made has a thumbprint permanently embedded in one edge from where I grabbed it before it fully set, and I’ve never bothered making another to replace it.
