Color Concrete Garden Projects: Make Your Own Planters, Furniture, and Fire Pits Using Creative Techniques and Vibrant Finishes

A Library Journal Best Crafts & DIY Book of 2015 

Incorporating concrete design into a home garden can now be easily achieved by any do-it-yourself enthusiast! Concrete furniture and containers add style and personality to outdoor spaces, and the addition of color makes these objects even more eye-catching. These trendy pieces can cost thousands of dollars at garden centers and furniture stores, but they can also be made affordably at home. In this hands-on guide, concrete artisans Nathan Smith and Michael Snyder offer basic information on how to mix concrete and add color using dyes, paints, and inlaid materials. The twenty step-by-step projects include small items, like a candle holder with an old-world feel and a simple stacked-ring planter, and larger pieces, like an elegant bike rack and a beautiful fire pit that is the perfect gathering place for friends and family.

Nathan Smith has a BBA in business management with an emphasis in entrepreneurship. He started his journey with concrete in the form of countertops for his own home. The material was fascinating and the medium was too much to resist. Since its formation in 2007, Set in Stone has slowly assembled a team of talented and creative individuals. They all consider themselves a part of a concrete evolution, using the seemingly limitless material to enrich lives ultimately through the creative process. He resides in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He feels at home in the shop, on a bike in the woods, and especially hanging out with his family.



Michael Snyder is an artisan craftsman with a background in sculpture and carpentry. He works at Set in Stone, a concrete design company with a focus on making beautiful useful objects. He lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee.



Charles Coleman is a photographer based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with over nine years in the field. His works are fostered from a desire to express stories through mediums ranging from tintype photography to video documentary. Visit charlescolemanphotography.com for more information.