Casting bookends with letters

Moulded concrete letters made of concrete or Raysin are very popular. These bookends are eye-catching and bring order to any bookshelf. The moulded letters are decorated with straw silk paper and are not just for book lovers. For example, a moulded name or personal initials are also a wonderful decoration or gift idea.

Cut open the cardboard letter using the cutter knife. Remove the inside. Apply adhesive tape to the inside edges to reinforce them. Then coat the inside of the letters with napkin varnish. This seals the cardboard so that the castings can be removed from the mould more easily after drying.

In total, each letter should be coated with 3-4 layers of napkin varnish.

Casting letters

Mix Raysin or concrete with water in a rubber mixing cup to form a creamy mass. Repeat until the letter is filled. Caution: do not fill to the brim! (Different quantities are required for the letters, depending on the size of the letter.

For example, we used 20 heaped tablespoons of concrete for the "N" and 26 heaped tablespoons of Raysin for the "M".

Tap the filled mould lightly on the surface several times so that any air bubbles in the casting compound rise. Leave to dry for 24 hours. Bend the edges of the moulds slightly outwards, then turn the casting mould over and press on the letter with the flat of your hand. Then tap the surface several times until the mould slides out. Smooth the edges with sandpaper.

Now the letters can be decorated with straw silk paper. To do this, first apply glue to the areas that are to be covered, then place the straw silk paper motifs on top and finally apply glue again.