Making your own garden stepping stones using forms, cement, bits of glass, rocks, and other embellishments.
Gardening Stepping Stones have been all the rage the last several years. You can purchase them at craft shows, gardening shops and even department stores, but they can be rather pricy. In this article I will give you step by step instructions on how to make your own gardening stones. These stones can be personalized for your garden, or for the gardens of friends and family.
The supplies that you will need include, cement mix (can be purchased at any hardware store, a 60 pound bag will make 6 stones), hardware cloth (again can be purchased at hardware stores, this will be added to reinforce your stones), cement color (found with the cement, and is used to add color to your stones, if so desired), molds and embellishments.
Stepping Stone molds can be made from wood, but the best things to use are old discarded items that you may be able to find. Such as disposable tin foil roasting pans, discarded pails, plastic storage containers, frying pans with missing handles, or any other item that you feel would make an interesting mold. If you decide to make a wooden mold, plywood or 2 x 4's can be formed into squares, stars, hexagons, or anything else you may have in mind. Do keep in mind however, that you will need to take these stones inside during the winter months for storage. So be sure that they are not too heavy or awkward to move, or too bulky to store.
The embellishments that you add will be what makes your stones personal. Small stones, seashells, marbles, bits of colored glass, a child's hand print, or a variety of other items can be used. This is where you may want to get a child involved. Let them plan out the design for the embellishments to be added. Wonderful mosiac's can be formed with just a little planning. It is best to actually lay out your design before starting this project. This can either be done on a paper cut to the same size as your mold, or by laying the design out on the ground next to your mold.
You next want to cut your hardware cloth, slightly smaller than your mold. If you have no hardware cloth available, an old piece of screen will work as well. Use tin snips or wire cutters to cut the cloth or screen to about ½ inch smaller than the mold.
To prepare your work surface, lay down plastic or old newspapers, drop clothes are generally very inexpensive at discount stores.
You also need to prepare your mold, by coating it with vegetable oil or cooking spray. If using a bucket or something else with tall sides, cut it down to the thickness that you wish your stone to be.
Unless you own a cement mixer, a deep pail or wheelbarrow will work to mix your cement. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for the mixing cement, but in the last 5 minutes of mixing add your coloring if you have chosen to do that. You will have to experiment a bit to get the color that you desire, just remember start out small, you can always keep adding color to get the shade you want.
Now fill your mold to 1 ½ inches with the wet cement, taking care not to leave any air bubbles, level off the surface of the cement. Next place your hardware cloth or screen on top of the wet cement. Add more cement to fill the mold, and smooth the top, again being sure to remove any air bubbles.
It is now time to embellish your stone. Lay out the design that you have planned gently on top of the wet cement. When all items are where you would like them to be, push them into the wet cement. Make sure they are securely in place, but leave a slightly raised surface. Now is also the time to add any writing, such as names, dates, or hand prints. Be sure to sign and date your work as all good artists do.
Set your mold out of the way to let it dry for 24 hours. Be sure not to leave it in direct sunlight, and do not move the stones during the drying process. This may cause your stone to crack.
After the cement is dry, take your mold out onto a grassy or other soft surface. Carefully tip the mold over and the stone should slide out. If you have used an old pail, wooden mold or tin foil pan, this can be cut away.
Your Stepping Stone can now be placed in a predominant place in your garden, or can be given as a gift to a gardening friend or relative.
