ROTFLMAO!! I thought I was the only one! I have a few bags that solidified too and can hardly wait to see the response to this one!

~Sandy~

Very interesting. What to do with them? I'm thinking. I'm thinking.

Welcome to the "I Got Hard Cement in the Bag Club" LOL. I had that happen to two bags but I think 20 bags makes you Queen of the Club, LOL!!! Can you use them to make a wall somewhere or do you have an uphill area where you could put them like they were huge rocks and grow Hens and Chicks and other plants around them - something that creeps and will cover part of the concrete? Did they dry with a somewhat flat surface? How about doing as Kirkus did with the cut tree rounds - dig a hole deep enough so most of the concrete is below ground and use them for stepping stones or a walkway. My land is mostly clay and in the spring the one side of the house that's in the shade 90% of the day is mossy and wet. Having cement stepping stones or a walkway would be fantastic for that area of my yard. You can bury them as I stated above making a squared off area of four or five in a row or make a circled area and make a patio area for a grill, sitting area or even a fire pit area. There's another idea for them, make a fire pit out of them.

Otherwise, have a free give-a-away of them cause as I said, I would love to have huge cement stepping stones on that wet, muddy area in the spring time and I would certainly take them off your hands if they were free. Do you have "free cycle" in your area? You could post a msg about them in there. Most newspaper let you publish a "free ad" when you're giving something away.

Awwwwww...gee, Craftlady, now I wish I had more of them! You've got some great uses for them! I love the buried stepping stones! I may just have to leave more bags out in the weather this winter. Maybe just bury them this year and tear the bags off the exposed tops in the spring! lol

I love this forum! Nothing gets thrown out!

~Sandy~

I always wanted to re-create the stone formations on Easter Island. ( If I ever get more room) ! I wonder if you can carve out faces in them..or mosaic faces in them.. Would make some interesting monoliths!
...what a happy little accident~ don't mourn..enjoy it~
Lori

I had them too --- ugh. Gave them away to people that had pick-up trucks for Weight in the back in winter ~~ LOL

You guys are great! What do they say...go big or go home.The idea worked in my head to put in a nice patio outside the kitchen,time just got away from me I guess.
Now,I could go for a Stonehenge look for the back corner of the yard,Make a nice meditation area.I would love to have one of those sand pit with the rake things,but the cats would see it as a giant litterbox. I'd be raking all day! LoL!
Well,when the weather cools down a bit more I'll break out the rototiller and make a path for my 60lb stepping stones.
CraftyLady..I'd send them to you but the shipping would be a fortune!

Keep the ideas coming
Julie :o)

LOL, I had 7 of them, when we get lots of rain, my culvert overflows and washes the gravel off the driveway, I lined them up on the one side and it made a wall to catch the stone, also we put 3 of them on the side of the stream and it stopped the bank from being eroded.. great idea!

oh, and you can take new bags and just lay em down where you want them and the rain will take care of the "hardening", lol I did read somewhere some farmer built a small Dam like this, it said eventually paper rotted and he had a nice concret dam...

I have seen people on tv gardening shows use them as blocks for walls and retaining walls. They stack them up in the bags and still soft and then water them down to get them to stay in place. Rain does the rest I guess. Count that mistake a blessing.

Paint one or two like pillows. That's how they are shaped.
Just don't try lying your head on one! LOL

Here's what I did. Made the features out of additional concrete and stuck 2 marbles in for eyes. :)

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=bag%20head&w=93555894%40N00

Here is a link that might be useful: bag head

Hate to rain on the stepping stone and wall parade but...

When concrete isn't mixed properly, it will crumble and break apart. So I think that what you would have is a constant supply of crete seeping out from the stone walk pieces or wall.

If you call the company they may be able to verify what I said. Or check with a waste recycle place and they may accept them. Do you have a freecycle type site in your area? Maybe they could be used by someone?

Well you learn something new every day don't you. I didn't know that about concrete Deweymn. Thanks for sharing that info before some of us just had a concrete mess all over the place. Sorry that idea didn't work out, now it's back to thinking of what to do with them.

Sal

That sounds like a nice idea Pam. Can you share a pic of that?

This has been a very informative thread. Pam, I think we would all enjoy seeing a picture of your "crete planter".

hmmm...., mine have been down there 5 yrs so far, and no signs of falling apart, lol

Beachcat, your link to the pics of your Bag Head aren't working. Please repost. Thanks,

Sal

Concrete and Quickrete are two different things. If you have quickete in a bag and it is already hard it will be fine for many years. I am thinking 'extra seating' lol. Anyway, I have set many a post by pouring quickete in the hole and running a hose in it.
It will be fine.

Thanks for all your ideas.Here's one from the concrete guy we hired to actually pour the concrete for the intended patio. (yea,we hired someone to complete the project)
I asked him if the hardened bags would hold up if I made a sofa/bench foundation with them.I got the idea from another website, somewhere someone made a loveseat for their garden.
Once the sofa/bench is mortared I can finish with more cement mixed and colored to cover and smooth it out. After that,when I have time I can mosaic the whole thing.
I will try to find the website where I got the idea from.

Julie

Here's mine. I stacked them dry and just let the creek get them wet and wash the bags away. We didn't want to lose that big rock on top. They have been there for about 5 years now, No sign of crumbling.
{{gwi:189684}}

Oops. Yeah, if it's the quickcrete MIX...meaning it had the gravel in it, you could probably use it ok. If it's just plain cement...it will eventually give way. Cement needs to bind with an aggregate to form concrete. The aggregate is sand or gravel. That's why you can buy the quickcrete and throw it in a hole, add water and you can set up fence posts. Just pour cement in, you'll get a hard mix, but it won't last.

Hubby had trouble with buying bags of cement (pure cement comes in 94 lb bags) at a big box store a few years ago. They had old stuff they were selling and it had taken on moisture causing lumps and a very weak mix. Every bit of concrete he poured fell apart that winter.

Dixiesmom, I just love what you have done... beautiful! I'd love to make me a wall out of this and plant creeping thyme, etc in the cracks.

Wow, some great ideas here. Thanks for a great thread!

Dixiesmom, that looks great! I would never have imagined it would look that way. It looks like big stones. Smart idea!

I told DH about this thread and he laughed so hard !!!
Not at you --- just because we did the same thing and he's happy to know someone else did it too !

The good thing is that they aren't going anywhere.I've got so many other projects to finish before I can move the mountain of 60 lb bags.
Dixiemon,I love the look you created along the creek! So peaceful.

Well,I'm off to WallyWorld for paint supplies.Need to finish the back bedroom.
Have a Great Day.
Julie

I'm thinking those would be great for making a firepit! Stack them up about 2 high and as big as you want it. You could even use some as seating around it for kids?

Hmmmm now I wonder where I could get some!