When my girls were young, I had them make a mold of their hands and feet in the sand and then poured Plaster of Paris into the opening to create a keepsake. It’s one of those quick, easy crafts you can find on mom blogs, and in crafting books. It aligned well with my love of memory keeping. Making the mold in the sand gave the finished product a nice texture. I hung the castings on my wall where they stayed for many years. Sadly, the hanger on the back of one of them broke and it fell to the ground breaking into pieces. I took the other one down because it felt strange to leave only one child’s prints on my wall.
The made in Maine product in this post reminds me of those castings. Zeitgeist Factory makes a line of housewares made from concrete. I love the uniqueness of their products. They are simple and industrial. I think they would make a great contrast to the items with which they are paired such as a colorful handcrafted soap on their soap dish. Or, maybe some wildflowers spilling from their vases.
My understanding is that concrete is not always the most environmentally friendly of products mainly because of the sheer scale of the industry. So, I did some further research and a couple of things swayed me on this locally made product.
The description of the product line, from the Maine Made, Winter 2016 Product Guide, states:
“These one of a kind goods are produced utilizing eco-friendly materials such as concrete, recycled marble dust, rubber, cork & stainless steel. Most of our products are fabricated with locally sourced recycled content”.
Zeitgeist incorporates recycled granite dust into their cement products. This granite dust is a waste product of the granite counter top industry so utilizing it in new products helps to keep it out of the waste stream.
As soon as I saw their products, I was in love with their business card holder. The description of this product from their website, reads…
CONCRETE BUSINESS CARD HOLDER: GRAY OR WHITE
The Zeitgeist Factory Card Holder is handcrafted from our proprietary blend of cement and recycled stone dust which is a by product of the countertop industry. It is designed to hold cards vertically or horizontally. Each concrete peg fits snugly to the business card holder via silicone o-rings.
Now I have the perfect place to store my business cards. I don’t actually have any yet, but it is on my to-do list. For a long time, I’ve been wanting to get some basic business cards with all my social media and blog information, so when people ask about my blog I’d be able to hand them something concrete (pun intended). Now that I own the holder, I have a great excuse to move ordering business cards higher up on my priority list.
In addition to the Zeitgeist Factory line of concrete housewares, they have a sister company, Culinarium which makes a line of cement kitchen products. Both companies are under the umbrella of Port Living Co. which also does private label products. Zeitgeist Factory has a perfect five-star rating on their Etsy Shop.
Have you ever seen a cement product that was unique or creative?
things to know | |
---|---|
Company Name | Zeitgeist Factory |
Location | Scarborough, Maine |
Website | Zeitgeist Factory |
Favorite ♥ | Creative use of concrete. |
Reflection of a wonderfully inspiring spirit in a wonderful post . Congratulations on successfully completing the Challenge with a great Z .
Best wishes,
Moon
https://aslifehappens60.wordpress.com
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Thanks and congrats to you as well! I’ve enjoyed the challenge this year. It was fun to learn more about products made in Maine.
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I’m not sure I’m a big fan of the concrete look (I’d want to paint it!) I can’t believe we’ve made it to the end of the Challenge – where has April gone! I’m quite relieved to go back to my three posts a week from next week. It’s been lovely meeting you through the challenge – I have a little video on mine today if you want to catch up with me (and my Aussie accent) in person!
Leanne | cresting the hill
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I didn’t use to be a fan but now I like the look in moderation. I think it can add a unique design touch. Congrats on finishing the A to Z. Loved your video and looking forward to your non challenge posts too.
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I’m not big on concrete products, but I have seen some done well. I love the name. Congratulations on finishing the A-Z!
http://sagecoveredhills.blogspot.com/2017/04/z-is-for-zodiac.html
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Thank you and congrats to you as well! Yes, I think it’s not necessarily a look for everyone although I like it as an accent like with this business card holder. I also like some of the concrete counters I’ve been seeing in design magazines.
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I love those concrete products. They make me want to touch. Ans having your details on a business card is, indeed, very handy, as long as you have more confience than I do about handing them out.
Congrats on making it through the challenge.
I don’t know about you, but for me, it has been a bit of a struggle at times.
Thanks for visiting me along the way.
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Now I actually have to have some business cards made but it’s on the list 🙂 Congrats on finishing the challenge.
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Another great way of re-/upcycling!
We made those hand molds in Kindergarten as a Christmas gift for your parents.
These days there a lot of ideas and tutorials on Pinterest.
Congratulations on completing a fabulous A-Z challenge! Hope to see you on my blog throughout the year from time to time!
https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.ch/2017/04/a-z-blogging-challenge-will-zumba-for.html
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Pinterst really has been a boon to crafts for kids. So many creative ideas.
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I’ve never thought about beautiful products made from concrete but you have change my mind. Congratulations on finishing the challenge. I’ll be visiting from time to time. Best wishes! http://www.dianeweidenbenner.com
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It is fun to see people doing something completely new with an old standby. Congrats to you as well!
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Hi Karen,
Congrats on not only finishing the A-Z Challenge but also winning eBooks of my fantasy Season Avatars series! Please e-mail me at ulbrichalmazanATsbcglobalDOTnet to tell me which format you’d prefer. My eBooks are available in MOBI, PDF, and EPUB.
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Thank you. That’s exciting! I’ll shoot you an e-mail.
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I have one concrete statue remaining in my yard. Last year her head fell off but I set it back on. Winters are rough on concrete in Michigan, whether on a roadway or in a yard decoration. Congrats on finishing the challenge.
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Winters are rough on things here in Maine too. Glad you were able to repair the statue. Congrats to you as well!
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Interesting. Thanks for introducing me to new things during the A-to-Z 🙂
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Thank you for stopping by. It was fun to do the challenge this year.
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And done! Congrats on finishing the A to Z challenge! As for concrete – I haven’t really given it much thought from an artistic angle before – but I DO think this is a great prompt to get business cards. I made some for my blog two(ish) years ago when I went to a blog conference. They’ve been pretty useful and were certainly a good investment.
I’ve learnt so much from your A to Z – thanks for the education and fully enjoyable reading.
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I think it would be helpful to have them available and now I have a great place to store them. Thanks for all the support during the challenge. I enjoyed your blogs too.
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What a cool idea!
And congrats on getting to the end of the A to Z Challenge! I’ve loved reading your entries (though I now have about 26 more things to buy!).
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Isn’t it fun?! Now it’s time to get back to a regular posting schedule although I might need a bit of a breather first to regroup. Love the A to Z but it’s always a little overwhelming.
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When I’ve done it, I feel like I’m on top of it at the beginning, but by the end I’m just dragging. Somehow, it seems easier to do my other daily postings – probably because if I don’t get one of those done, I haven’t really failed at any actual challenge, I’ve just not posted.
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I feel the same way. But, it’s still such a great way to meet other bloggers so I do love it. Time for a nap though!
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I went to the factory website and they have quite an interesting selection! I’ve seen beautiful concrete showers and countertops, and I’ve seen concrete yard ornaments, but nothing as unique and creative as what the Zeitgeist Factory offers.
Trudy @ Reel Focus
Food in Film: Zagnut
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It is fun to see something different with concrete.
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Unusual looking business card holder. It looks very solid. Is it intended for one to drill a hole in one’s desk to put the concrete peg in it? Or just as a stand alone item? I guess I’m puzzled by the design, since it’s so different from other holders I’m used to seeing. Congrats on getting to Z!
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It’s a stand alone item. The cards sit in the front of it. I wish I’d had time to get my business cards done before the post because I think it would have been a little easier to see. I’ll have to update it once I get them done. Congrats to you as well.
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We love it when people use concrete for cool projects. We might have to replicate your business card holder idea for our employees. Nice!
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Can’t take the credit. Zeitgeist Factory has some amazing concrete products on their site. You’ll have to check them out.
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