1. Prepare your surface. For my kitchen island I used a piece of plywood and framed it out with furring strips on the bottom. My countertops started with a tiled surface, so I sanded them a bit with some rough sandpaper. (kitchen island pictured)

2. Whenever working with concrete, I’d recommend using rubber gloves and a dust mask. Using the power drill and cement mixing drill bit, I mixed up 2 parts water to 1 part of the Henry’s Feather Finish as indicated on the instructions. It’s a great idea to first test a small amount of the Feather Finish (about a quart sized container) to get a sense of how it mixes and density of spreading to get a sense of how to work with the material.

(countertops pictured)

3. Using the cement spreader, I spread a thin layer of the cement, about ¼” thick, onto the surface of the table. Try to get an even layer of cement across the entire table. (kitchen island pictured)

4. Let dry overnight. When fully dry use a medium grit sandpaper with palm sander or sanding block and sand the top surface. 

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Repeat steps 2-4 spreading another thin layer of cement onto the surface, letting dry, and sanding.

If any parts of the table shows through, do a third layer. I only needed two layers for this surface, but it depends on how thick well the cement coats your surface to determine number of layers needed.

(countertops pictured)

5. To put a stencil on your surface, apply plastic-based stickers in the pattern you’d like. Use a head gun to make sure the sticker is adhered well. I used my tester piece to test my stain. It’s a good idea to do that first to get an idea of how your stain will apply to confirm that’s how you’d like it. (kitchen island pictured)

6. Apply your stain using a sponge and rubber gloves. I tested multiple stain colors and natural materials. For my kitchen island I ended up using a red <check color> concrete stain. For my countertop, I simply used spent coffee grounds by taking a bowl of them and rubbing them gently onto the surface. Once I achieved my desired color, I wiped off the remaining coffee grounds with water and a sponge.

(kitchen island and countertops pictured)

7. If you used stencils, remove the stickers, once the surface is fully dry. I wanted a more distressed look, rather than such a solid finish, so I sanded the surface a bit more to achieve that look.

(kitchen island pictured)

8. If you’re going to be using this surface near food, the best sealer that I found was Cheng Concrete Sealer. If food is not a concern there are other cement finishings out there like this.

If you’re using Cheng's, apply as the instructions indicate using a watered down mix of the coating, wiping it onto the surface and allowing to dry. You can test the surface with water to ensure that your surface is fully sealed. If not, you can apply a second and third coating, allowing time to fully dry between coats.

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Enjoy your new countertop!