How to Paint Faux Concrete Pear Place Card Holders

See just how easy it is to paint faux concrete pear place card holders in a few quick steps. No one will know that they aren’t real concrete!

This project is sponsored by DecoArt. All ideas and opinions shared are my own.

I fell in love with the look of concrete accented with metallic paint when I painted these concrete planter bookends years ago. Fast forward a few years… I saw some concrete pears at a vintage market and thought they would be beautiful painted the same way. Buuuut they were $20 per pear and that’s a little more than I care to spend on some fake fruit! My original thought was I would try to make them with concrete mix and a pear mold, but never got around to it. (Along with about 74 other project to-do’s I haven’t gotten around to!)

When I spotted these mini styrofoam pears I thought I’d try painting them in a faux concrete finish and turn them into pear place card holders. I hadn’t ever attempted to paint faux concrete before, but I knew if anything could achieve the concrete look, it would be chalky finish paint. I love to play the game “what does this look like?” with my husband to test whether or not a project was a success. My easy faux concrete finish on the styrofoam pears passed the test. We have a winner!

This faux concrete paint technique is so fast and easy it makes me want to fake concrete on all the things haha!

What paint do you use for a faux concrete finish?

Americana Decor Chalky Finish paint worked beautifully. The coverage is amazing (1 coat will cover most materials) and the ultra matte finish simulates concrete perfectly.

How to Paint Faux Concrete Pear Place Card Holders

Supplies

• 2 oz. Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paint in Yesteryear and Artifact
• DecoArt Extreme Sheen paint in Rose Gold
• Painters tape
• Silicone sponge
• Paint brush
• Knife

Directions

(Printable instruction card below)

How to create a faux concrete finish

1. Using a dense sponge, apply Chalky Finish paint in Yesteryear on one side of the pear with a stippling motion. A silicone makeup sponge worked like a champ for this project. Sit the pear in a small glass or bowl to dry. Once dry, flip over and repeat on the other side of the pear. Allow to dry.

2. With another sponge, apply a thinner coat of Chalky Finish paint in Artifact on one side of pear with a long swipe of the sponge (the longer swipe with lighter pressure on the sponge will allow some of the Yesteryear to peek through). Immediately use the course paint brush to brush off some of the Artifact paint and create more depth and texture. The window to do this dry brush technique is very short since the Chalky Finish paint dries so fast. Allow to dry.

3. Tape off the areas that will be painted metallic with painters tape. Ensure the edges are burnished to the faux concrete pears to avoid any paint seepage. Apply 2 coats of Extreme Sheen paint in Rose Gold with a paint brush, allow to dry fully in between coats. Peel back tape to remove after applying the 2nd coat of paint.

4. Decide which angle will be the front of the place card holder based on how they stand straight. Cut a small slit on top of the faux concrete pear (make sure the slit is wide enough to hold a place card). It works best to have the place card go behind the pear’s stem since the styrofoam pears are so light… it balances the center of gravity so that they stand up better.

Insert place cards into the faux concrete pear place card holders.

These faux concrete pears are perfect to use as place card holders, food markers or even photo holders. No one will ever know they’re faux!

So now that you see how easy it is, what would you want to try the faux concrete paint technique with?

Print Recipe

How to Paint Faux Concrete Pear Place Card Holders

Ingredients

• 2 oz. Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paint in Yesteryear and Artifact
• DecoArt Extreme Sheen paint in Rose Gold
• Painters tape
• Silicone sponge
• Paint brush
• Knife

Instructions

How to create a faux concrete finish

• Using a dense sponge, apply Chalky Finish paint in Yesteryear on one side of the pear with a stippling motion. A silicone makeup sponge worked like a champ for this project. Sit the pear in a small glass or bowl to dry. Once dry, flip over and repeat on the other side of the pear. Allow to dry.
• With another sponge, apply a thinner coat of Chalky Finish paint in Artifact on one side of pear with a long swipe of the sponge (the longer swipe with lighter pressure on the sponge will allow some of the Yesteryear to peek through). Immediately use the course paint brush to brush off some of the Artifact paint and create more depth and texture. The window to do this dry brush technique is very short since the Chalky Finish paint dries so fast. Allow to dry.
• Tape off the areas that will be painted metallic with painters tape. Ensure the edges are burnished to the faux concrete pears to avoid any paint seepage. Apply 2 coats of Extreme Sheen paint in Rose Gold with a paint brush, allow to dry fully in between coats. Peel back tape to remove after applying the 2nd coat of paint.
• Decide which angle will be the front of the place card holder based on how they stand straight. Cut a small slit on top of the faux concrete pear (make sure the slit is wide enough to hold a place card). It works best to have the place card go behind the pear's stem since the styrofoam pears are so light... it balances the center of gravity so that they stand up better.
• Insert place cards into the faux concrete pear place card holders.