Almost any room can benefit from a few large, impressive accent pieces, but home accessories like these tend to be expensive. That’s why we came up with this faux-stone column project.
Cost-Friendly Solution. These inexpensive columns are made from building forms from the home center, plus terra-cotta flowerpots and saucers. You can use a jigsaw to cut the building forms shorter if desired.
First, turn the terra-cotta saucer upside down, and then adhere the lip of a terra-cotta pot to it with construction adhesive. Apply more construction adhesive around the flowerpot and set the building form into it.
Next, apply a bead of construction adhesive to another terra-cotta pot, and set it into the top of the building form. Remove the excess adhesive, and let the parts dry.
With the column assembled, you’re ready to add the texture. Use a sponge to dab drywall compound onto the column (inset photo). Once you’ve covered a small section, gently drag a putty knife across the surface of the drywall compound. Repeat until the column is covered.
Now give the column a base color by lightly brushing paint over the entire surface. To “age” the column, dab on random spots of gel stain and rub the spots with a rag to soften the look.
The columns look especially impressive when they’re grouped together. We used a set of them to add Old World charm to a previously boring corner.
