Homemade Stepping Stones
2 Materials
$10
24 Hours
Easy
Have you ever extended the garden off the edge of the patio only to realize that now you have to step through the garden to get to rest of the yard? Yes, we did. But no fear! We made these cute stepping stones to help out.
First the boys and gathered some things to personalize the stones. I used a hammer and placed an old plate in a plastic grocery bag to break it to pieces. I used garden snips to cut up an old CD. We had some sea shells collected from a past vacation and some plastic gems from my craft boxes. I went to Lowe's and bought a bag of Quikcrete.
I wish I could give you exact measurements but the hubby just started pouring and I let him. The concrete bag is really heavy and I am disabled so I let the HeMan take over for that part. I did read before we started that you should have 5 parts concrete to 1 part water.
The concrete should look like the consistency of pudding. Before you pour, prepare your molds by spraying with nonstick cooking spray or wiping with a layer of Vaseline. Let set undisturbed for about 2 hours before you try to decorate or things will just sink into the concrete. After they are decorated, leave them to cure for at 24 hours before removing from the mold, 48 if you're in a super humid climate.
If you choose to use anything like the painted wooden letters in your design like I did, you may want to spray with a clear UV protectant.
Here's what they look like in my garden. Now my short legs don't have to take a flying leap over the new mulch. It was fun watching what boys came up with to put in their own stepping stones too. What would put in yours?
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If you make foot prints for our children from baby to adulthood, you will have their walk of life. Family reunions and holidays are a great time to get everyone's prints and be able to stand in their "shoes" ( I use bare feet that have been oiled or baselines.) And for those that don't have yards the concrete mold can be cast with paper (shredded with some rag is sturdier) using your blender. Fun to just mold the print alone and let them walk on the walls (stuck on with fun tack). Let your imagination out to play!
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What a great idea! Plus children and grandchildren can get creative and you have wonderful things that they decorated/created.
Frequently asked questions
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I've had problems with thin stepping stones breaking after a short time. Does anyone have a suggestion? Thanks!
Did you do anything about the rocks on top of the one stepping stone? Did you smooth it out some?
since a cake pan is not very thick, would they hold up under a person's weight without cracking?
Could you use a muffin pan to make mini stones for a fairy garden? Grease the pan good, fill and decorate, then turn over and bang them out?