An extra hand in the garden

by Debra Anchors

Image by Jacki Cammidge and Blue Fox Farm

I was inspired by an idea I found over on Blue Fox Farm. Jacki Cammidge created her hypertufa hands using Portland cement powder, peat moss and perlite.  I absolutely love this idea, but desired something sturdier in my Midwest garden, so I modified the instructions.







To create these, gather the following materials:

1. The largest size (powder-free) surgical gloves you can find
2. A fast-setting cement (Quikrete© Vinyl Concrete Patch works well)
3. Play sand or an empty pot for use in forming the hands
4. A razor blade
5. Small pieces of cardboard
6. Rubber band(s)

• Mix the cement as the package directs, obtaining a putty-like consistency. 
• Fill and then empty your gloves with water; be certain all water is drained. The goal is to dampen the inside of the gloves.
• Fill your gloves with the prepared concrete product.
• Make a pin-prick at the end of each finger of the glove and consistently and carefully push any air out of the gloves as you fill with the concrete.
• Close the wrist end of the gloves with a rubber band
• Form the filled, gloved fingers in a bed of wet play sand, or use a planter or dish to hold your ‘hand’ in the desired position. 
• Before the cement begins to set, slip a piece of cardboard between the fingers (the gloves will be easier to remove with space separating the fingers).
• Place your cement hands in the shade to dry (at least 48 hours).
• Once the hands are dry enough to handle and can be easily removed from the gloves, cut the gloves with a razor blade and then carefully pull them loose from the cement.
• Brush the outside of your cement hands with a wire brush to give them a rustic and aged look.  Once you have achieved the desired appearance, immerse your sculptures into a bucket of clean water for 3 or more days to fully cure the cement.

Note:  For convenience, I have embedded links into the text that will take you to the products used in this project.

Recycle, upcycle and do it yourself? Absolutely! Have you upcycled something unique for your garden from recycled materials? Please share it with me so I can feature your creation here.

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Until next time -

Debra