Looking for a creative way to make personalized home decor? This DIY cement heart is made using a simple casting technique and customized with raised lettering. It’s a lovely way to create a one-of-a-kind decorative keepsake, whether you’re making it for your own home, a special occasion or a thoughtful handmade gift. Mine was inspired by my niece’s upcoming bridal shower, but the possibilities for personalizing it are endless!

Important Announcement!

We are absolutely thrilled to share that Birdz of a Feather has doubled last year’s donation to the Alzheimer Society, going from $5,000 to an incredible $10,000 this year! But it gets even better…

Thanks to Extendicare and Giving Tuesday, from now until December 1, every dollar donated will be matched dollar for dollar! That means our $10,000 donation is about to double, bringing the total to an incredible $20,000 for Alzheimer’s research!

We started Birdz of a Feather with a simple idea: turn our love of upcycling and crafting into something that could make a difference. In memory of our moms and our dear friend, we’ve been turning old things into new creations, and every dollar earned through our online projects goes towards supporting Alzheimer’s research.

To everyone who has visited our blog, watched a video, shared a post, bought CANvergence artwork or supported one of our creations, THANK YOU! You are part of this, and we couldn’t have done it without you.

And if you’d like to help take that $20,000 even further, donations made to the Alzheimer Society from now through to December 1, 2026 will be matched dollar for dollar! Let’s keep those dollars growing! You can donate here.

Materials for Cement Heart

[If you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered (disclosure): The blue links in this post may be affiliate links. We earn a commission from qualifying purchases which we proudly donate to Alzheimer’s research. But don’t worry, you don’t pay a cent more! Thanks for helping to support our fundraiser!]

Mixing cement is like baking; you’ll need a digital scale for precision!

Gather up:

• Smooth-On Equinox 38 Medium – two part silicone putty
• Hydro-Stone Cement
• Digital Scale
• Silicone measuring cup
• Pipette (for syphoning up excess water if necessary)
• Long Metal Spoon (for sifting powder)
• Water
• Miniature 1/2″ to 3/4″ letters (depending on the size of heart you make. Mine is 4.75″ x 4.75″ with 3/4″ arrows)
• 1/4″ MDF
• Thin plywood (for cutting the letters – or find them at a craft store)
• Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue
• Zinsser Bulls Eye Clear Shellac
• Water based pigment (if you want to colour the cement)
• Small angle brush for glue
• MIrror vanity tray (mine is vintage) and embossed floral pattern pillar candle (for display)

Before we get to the tutorial, it’s time for another Creative Craft blog hop co-hosted every other month by me and Donna from Modern on Monticello! If you are visiting from Suzanne at Shop at Blue, welcome! Weren’t her clock ornaments amazing?!

At the very bottom of this post, we’ll be directing you to the next stop on this venture. But don’t forget to check out the other stops too because you’ll find plenty more ideas. Be sure to drop back in throughout the week to visit them all!

Cut Heart Shape

The first step was creating the heart shape. I could have used our laser cutter, but MDF is held together with adhesives, and I don’t know exactly what fumes might be released when cutting it. With my unrelenting vertigo still no better after 6 months, the last thing I need is to be breathing in mystery glue fumes! So, I decided to go old school. I traced a heart onto a piece of MDF.

Then Hubs took it from there with the jigsaw.

It doesn’t have to be perfect because you can use some sandpaper to smooth out the edges. I’m using an emery board for nails to sand the MDF!

Glue and Seal

Once the shape is ready, I glue on laser cut letters to spell out the happy couple’s names. This becomes the master for making the mold.

You can find mini wood letters at craft stores, like Lens Mill if you’re in Canada. But these are only 1/2” (mine are 3/4”).

To make sure each letter is positioned exactly where I want it, I first trace around it with a pencil.

Then I apply Aleene’s Tacky Glue with a mini angle brush to both the heart and the back of each letter before pressing them into place. A strong bond is important here, as you’ll want a good seal to prevent the silicone from seeping underneath and damaging the lettering impression when making the mold.

Lastly, once dry, seal the whole thing with a few coats of shellac. That will seal both the MDF and the wood against the silicione putty and prevent sticking.

By the way, if you don’t want to make a mold and cast cement, you can paint the wooden heart and call it a day. But I love to learn new skills, don’t you?

Making the Silicone Mold

For this project, I used Smooth-On Equinox 38 Medium, a two-part silicone putty mixed by hand in a 1:1 ratio.

To avoid mixing more than I need and wasting material, I did a little test run with plasticine first. I shaped the plasticine around my heart to get a rough idea of how much putty the mold would require, then weighed it. Since the silicone comes in two equal parts, I simply divided that total weight in half to determine how much Part A and Part B to use.

You can watch this video for the technique on how to mix and form your casting mold.

Wearing vinyl gloves (rather than latex, which can interfere with curing), I kneaded the two parts together vigorously until the colour was completely uniform.

The trick is to work fast! This silicone starts setting very quickly, so there’s not much time to fuss around. Once mixed, I spread the putty out on a flat surface and gently rocked the heart, lettering side down, into it. I then built up the sides around the heart to create a good wall, making sure the Hydrostone wouldn’t escape when it was time to pour. Once the silicone set, I had my mold ready to go!

Let it thoroughly dry according to package directions and unmold it. A perfect replica, ready to cast.

Casting the Cement Heart

Refer to our free Hydro-stone mixing worksheet for how to calculate the powder and water to mix. You can access it by subscribing to our newest DIYs, crafts, recipes on the form below. Once subscribed, check out our  Birdz on the Fly Freebie Library (you’ll get the password when you get our first e-mail).

If you’re already a subscriber, you already have access our free patterns, instructions and printables! Just search for the password at the top of any email.

 

Next comes the casting!

Ratio Calculations

Add water to the mold. Place an empty container onto the scale and tare the scale. Taring a scale resets its display to zero after you place an empty container on it, allowing you to measure only the weight of the contents you add. Add the water to the countainer and note on the calculation sheet on the worksheet in grams. Complete the easy calculations on our free worksheet and you’ll know how much water and powder to combine for your particular mold.

Hydro-Stone has a relatively short working time. The manufacturer lists a typical hand-mix set time of approximately 19–25 minutes, although conditions and mixing methods affect this.

Saftey Tips:

• Use a genuine NIOSH-approved N95, with a proper facial seal, as a minimum particulate-filtering option.
• Wear sealed safety goggles.
• Pour the powder gently into the water to minimize airborne dust.
• Mix in a well-ventilated area.
• Avoid dry sanding the finished casting. If sanding is necessary, use wet methods where suitable to control dust.

Important: work on a flat, level surface.

Add Colour to Cement Heart

After figuring out ratios of powder to water using our worksheet, you’re ready to mix. Before adding the Hydro-Stone powder, I tint the water first.

Just put a few drops into the water and mix. That way, the colour runs right through the finished heart rather than just sitting on the surface.

Next, add powder to water, never the other way around. Using a spoon, slowly sprinkle the powder evenly over the surface of the water rather than dumping it in at once.

Use a large silicone mixing cup, like this one, or paper bowl for easy cleanup! Once the Hydro-Stone has dried, simply pop out any leftover material and dispose of it in the garbage (or toss the paper bowl). Never pour leftover product down the drain or wash your mixing cup in the sink. If necessary, give it a wipe with a damp paper towel and it’s ready for next time.

Let the Hydro-Stone soak and absorb the water before mixing and pouring into the mold. Avoid whipping air into the mixture as you stir, mixing until the slurry is smooth and uniform.

Now:

• Pour slowly into the mold rather than dumping it all in one spot.
• Gently tap the mold against your work surface to encourage trapped air to rise.
• If you have a small vibrating tool, gentle vibration can also help.

Pay particular attention to the raised lettering area. Tiny bubbles can leave little imperfections around the letters (you’ll see further ahead that I did get lots of bubbles!).

You can also use a straw to blow hot air onto the surface to pop the bubbles.

Avoid moving the project and let it complete dry. At this point, you’ll be excited to see the outcome, but don’t rush the de-molding.

Demolding

As you can see after de-molding the Hydro-stone, I did get lots of tiny bubbles. As this is just a test run, I can learn from my mistakes and try again.

Take all of the safety precautions noted above if you need to smooth any rough edges with sandpaper.

Since the cement is technically ‘wet’ and still curing, I can’t add gold leaf to just yet, but I will do that for the final DIY bridal shower decor piece further ahead.

Hydro-Stone Examples

Here are a few examples I cast with commercial molds that look smoother. You really do need to patiently let the Hydro-stone soak up the water before mixing and take care to agitate the piece to dissipate bubbles.

In this first example, there are still a few noticeable bubbles.

But with practice, you can get a perfectly smooth, even surface!

Cement Heart Reveal

I’m displaying the cement heart on a beautiful vintage vanity tray that belonged to my mom. I love the thought of incorporating something of hers into the shower celebration too. It would be a lovely way to have my mom, my niece’s grandmother, with us in spirit on such a special day.

Isn’t it amazing what a bit of scrap wood and a mold making kit can make? But it’s not finished yet.

Once the cement has had enough time to dry (at least 72 hours), you can add gold leaf to the letters and edges of the heart to take it up another notch! I thrifted a bunch of these gold leaf kits at the Salvation Army about 25 years ago, and they’re still going strong.

Now that’s a thrifty find that keeps on giving!

For DIY bridal shower decorations that feel personal, this simple cement heart, personalized with the couple’s names, makes a lovely addition to a bridal shower table. But combined with this vintage tray, flowers, embossed pillar candle (unused from our own wedding) and a little easel to elevate it, it becomes a sweet keepsake the happy couple can enjoy long after the celebration.

This project not only makes lovely home decor, but a thoughtful, personalized gift for someone special around the holidays, a birthday, anniversaries or any special occasion for gift giving!

Of course, you don’t even have to make your own molds if you just want to dabble with cement pouring. Check out these cement planter molds or cement planter DIY, both made from something suprising!

I ❤️ a good heart craft, don’t you? Check out this Felt Applique Mondrian Heart.

Pin Cement Heart

Creative Craft Hop

Now it’s time to check out this 2 Ways to Crochet a Water Bottle Cozy from Cecilia at My Thrift Store Addiction. When you’re done, please remember to visit these other amazing talents below:

• 2 Ways to Crochet a Water Bottle Cozy
• Decoupage Poinsettia Paper Napkin Rings
• Chinoiserie Decoupage Christmas Trees Using the Iron Method
• How to Make Clock Ornaments for Christmas
• Cement Heart