How to Make a Concrete Catchall Tray with White Cement

Set out everything before you start. You want your white cement, a silicone tray mold, two matching cups for measuring, a mixing container, a stir stick and a pair of gloves. A single kilo of white cement runs a couple of dollars and makes five or six trays, so this is a cheap craft to get into.

Pull the gloves on before you open the bag. Wet cement is drying and a little caustic on bare skin, and once it's mixed you won't want to stop to hunt for supplies.

This ratio is the heart of the whole project. Fill one cup level with white cement, then fill a second cup the same way, and tip both into your mixing container. Now measure one matching cup of water and set it beside them.

Two parts cement to one part water gives you a paste that pours but still sets rock hard. Guess at it and you get either a soupy mix that won't hold shape or a stiff one that traps air. Use the same cup for all three scoops so the measure stays honest.

Pour the water into the cement and stir with real intent. Dry clumps show up right away, and that's expected. Keep working the stick around the container, pressing the lumps against the sides to crush them flat.

Don't stop until the mix is one even color with no gritty pockets at the bottom. A lump you leave in the batter becomes a weak spot in the finished tray, so this minute of hard stirring is worth it.

Lift a spoonful and let it drizzle back into the container. You're aiming for a paste that ribbons off slowly, somewhere between heavy cream and pancake batter. Too watery and it's weak. Too thick and it won't level or release air.

If it's stiffer than that, add water a small splash at a time and stir again until it flows. Get the texture right here and the tray practically pours itself flat.

Pour the paste into the silicone mold in one steady stream. Start at the center and let it spread outward on its own toward the scalloped edge. Keep pouring until it fills to the top of the mold.

Work quickly and don't fuss. The flowy mix self-levels if you leave it, and the less you poke at it the fewer bubbles you drag in. A tray mold like this fills in seconds.

Give the filled mold a few firm taps flat against the table. Each knock brings trapped air up to the surface where it pops, and that's what leaves you with a smooth back instead of a pitted one. A dozen taps is plenty.

Now the hard part: leave it alone. Let the tray cure for a full 24 hours. When it's hard and cool to the touch it's ready to come out, not before.

Peel the silicone back from the corners first, then work your way around the rim and ease the tray out. Go slow and let the flexible mold do the work so you don't chip the braided edge. You should get a smooth, crack-free tray.

Knock down any rough spots or stray edges with a bit of sandpaper. A coat of concrete sealer makes it water resistant, and stick-on felt feet keep it from scratching a shelf. Then drop in your keys, coins and rings and you're set.