Stepping stones are not only necessary for being able to move throughout the garden without disrupting the soil, but they also create focal points and structure, and add a little bit of personality! Making your own DIY concrete stepping stones is a way to create functional art for the floor of your garden. Now let’s learn how to use concrete to make different kinds of DIY stepping stones for your garden pathways.
The Best Concrete to Make Stepping Stones
All in all, it’s best to choose a finer concrete mix that doesn’t contain large gravel pieces. The concrete you want is usually sold as “repair concrete.” This finer textured concrete will give you a smooth look and takes decorative imprints much better.
How to Mix Concrete
When you purchase dry concrete it will have instructions for mixing it on the package.
You can find ready-made concrete in home improvement stores in smaller batches. Ready-made concrete is good for repair jobs or doing just a few stepping stones, but it’s much more expensive.
If you want to make a larger number of concrete projects, then mixing your own is the way to go. You don’t have to use the whole bag at once. You can mix up as much concrete as you need for your project and store the rest in a dry area indefinitely.
MATERIALS
- Repair concrete
- Large bucket or wheelbarrow
- Old trowel for mixing repair concrete or
- Concrete mixer
- Water
- Safety glasses, gloves, dust mask
DIY Creative Concrete Stepping Stones
Here are a bunch of concrete stepping stone ideas to get you started. Follow the links for detailed instruction how to make each type of cement stepping stone.
1. ROUND STONE MOSAIC STEPPING STONES
These round stepping stones can be made with any mosaic pattern you can think of. For example, you can make them with numbers to become a hopscotch path in my backyard play garden.
2. SQUARE LEAF PRINT STEPPING STONES
These stones can be made from the contents of your recycling bin! Choose plastic tubs or even pizza boxes for cement molds and make square stepping stones.
3. ROUND LEAF PRINT STEPPING STONES
Follow the instructions for making the Hopscotch Stepping Stones but use the Leaf-Imprint Stepping Stones to decorate them.
4. MONOGRAMMED STEPPING STONES
These Monogrammed Stepping Stones are special and creative. Simply get a foam letter and oil it well, press into the form, and voila!
5. STORE-BOUGHT STEPPING STONE MOLDS
If you have something specific in mind, you can probably find a stepping stone mold that is pre-made and ready for concrete. From sand dollars to butterflies to Celtic designs and even a giant paw print, there is sure to be one to fit your garden. Just remember that you can only make one at a time with each mold. If you are making only one stepping stone, this is a quick and easy way to go. If you plan to make a whole pathway, it could be a more expensive or lengthy task.
