If your space could use some special new accent pieces and you’re craving a different kind of creative outlet, look no further than a single bag of concrete. You read us right! DIYers just like you have discovered how concrete can mix things up for the coolest, cleverest furniture and home goods ever. Need some inspiration? Check out these 12 impressive projects that the folks at Quikrete have recognized as exceptional entrants in their One Bag Wonder contest.

Maybe you'll be so inspired by other people’s prize-worthy wonders that you'll want to knock out an original entry of your own and submit it by June 4 for a chance to win $2,500—plus a whole bunch of bragging rights. So get clicking to learn what stylish, useful stuff you can create with a bag of concrete—and a little ingenuity, of course!

Inspired by legendary architect Félix Candela, this sculptural coffee table features a sexy saddle-shaped base. After fashioning a two-piece foam mold and adding wire mesh for reinforcement, the DIYer poured in concrete and let it cure. The result is a strong, aerodynamic structure you can top with any flat surface that suits your decor.

quikrete.com via Conor Coghlan

Forget that old coffee mug! Keep writing utensils in easy reach with a pencil holder made just for them. This sinuous piece boasts a curved boat and a stand, though you may want to tweak the size and design to store kitchen tools, paintbrushes, knitting needles, crochet hooks...you name it!

quikrete.com via Elizabeth Park

Rather than toss a rusted old pan, this DIYer used it as a mold for the top of a concrete cake stand. Tip: For easy unmolding, line the pan with plastic wrap before pouring in Quikrete. A repurposed candlestick forms the base of this stand—what will you use?

quikrete.com via Leilani Carrasco on Instagram

Here's a pipe lamp that strikes the perfect balance between industrial and elegant. The shade and base are made of concrete while the body was built from metal pipe. This designing DIYer went with basic black and a retro bulb, but maybe you'll have another sort of light-bulb moment when you tackle the project!

quikrete.com via Seth Hunt

After fashioning legs out of cedar boards, this craftsman made a mold for the concrete top of this wine table, adding a six-inch PVC cap to the center to hold bottles. He then inserted the base while the Quikrete was still wet and, after it cured, finished the top with beige grout for contrast.

The most rugged doormat ever is fashioned out of concrete discs formed using paper molds and then woven together with braided hollow rope. Tip: Trace a tin can as a guide to make your molds—or if discs don’t do it for you, pick another shape. Then, connect the discs together with rope and fray the edges. Ta-da!

The winner of Quikrete’s debut One Bag Wonder contest in 2016, this ingenious toilet tank sink routes (perfectly clean!) water to the faucet every time you flush. Not only stylish and sturdy, the savvy hand-washing device will conserve about a gallon of water per person per day.

quikrete.com via Mike Moyer

As sophisticated as it is spectral, this ghost table took top honors in Quikrete’s 2017 One Bag Wonder competition. Instead of building a mold, the brilliant DIYer soaked a swath of canvas in a mixture of Quikrete and cement polymer, then simply draped it over a table and let it dry. Talk about boo-tiful!

quikrete.com via Joey Eddington

Neither snow nor rain nor, well, you name it will beat this concrete mailbox down! A mold of particle board and plastic sheeting formed the rugged-yet-artful arch, which was then perched over a standard mailbox on a wooden post. But this is just one take on a cement mailbox—you can put your unique stamp on your own design.

quikrete.com via Ian Stewart

Tech gets tough with a USB hub made of cast concrete that lets you power up a trio of devices at once. The best part? Unlike flimsy hubs, this one's heavy enough to let users unplug cables one-handed. This DIYer's design is reminiscent of a worn river rock, but yours can take any shape that strikes your fancy.

quikrete.com via 2B Studio

Pour some Quikrete into a work glove, prop it up while it cures, and what do you get? A helping hand, of course! The DIYer who concocted this piece likes to use it in the kitchen, where it holds the phone to display recipes while she cooks. What will your "hand-some" sculpture do?

quikrete.com via Catie Chiro

Brown thumbs of the world, rejoice! But first, fashion molds for this two-part Self-Watering Planter—a reservoir for water on the bottom and a pot for greenery on top. Fill with Quikrete and, when it has set, drill two holes in the pot and insert a rope wick to deliver H2O to your plant.

quikrete.com via Evan & Katelyn Sheline

Now that you’re into the swing of crafting with concrete, why not submit an original entry to the One Bag Wonder contest? The top three winners will snag cash prizes, plus a free trip to Atlanta to see their pieces displayed at the 2022 Haven Conference. The website will be updated soon with the entry dates for the 2022 contest, so get your ideas percolating and the Quikrete pouring!

If you have the money to hire a handyman for every household woe, go ahead. But if you want to hang on to your cash and exercise some self-sufficiency, check out these clever products that solve a million and one little problems around the house. Go now!

Disclosure: BobVila.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for publishers to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Copyright © 2022 Acton Media Inc. All rights reserved.