By C A LarsonIt's really fun to make stepping stones for your garden. It's easy too. There aren't very many materials you will need to make simple stepping stones so it's an inexpensive way to add a unique character to your walkway.
Here are the supplies you need to have for your stepping stone project: a bag of sand mix, a plastic tub to mix it in, a trowel, something to make the form, and some WD-40 or a similar product.
Here is an important safety tip. The dust from the sand mix contains cement. The cement mixes with water to form a hard, stone-like product. So don't breathe it! Use a face mask or tie a bandana over your nose and mouth while the dust is in the air.
Another tip: Don't wash it down your drain. It may harden there and become a nightmare to repair. Always wash off your tools, hands, shoes, and everything else outside.
First thing: Have your stepping stone form ready. You can make a form from anything. I like to use wood and screw it together in the various sizes I want. You could use any material you find but make sure you can take it apart or someway get the finished stepping stone out of it easily.
Once you have the stepping stone form made, spray the wood with WD-40. This will make certain the concrete doesn't stick to the form making it easier to take it out. Put a piece of heavy plastic on a work board - ½ inch plywood is good - then the form on the plastic. Now you can move it around once you have it full of cement.
Follow the directions on the Sand Mix package to mix it. You want the concrete to be the consistency between peanut butter and cake batter. If you don't know what cake batter is like, think of ceiling paint. They are both too thin while peanut butter is too thick. Add more water or more sand mix to get this right.
Fill your form, give it a few jiggles to get the air bubbles out, and wait a few minutes for the water to form on top. Once the water evaporates, or you mop it up with a paper towel, you can make your design on the top surface of the stepping stone. I like to use the flat back of a trowel to make some shallow swirls.
There are so many ways to finish your stepping stone. You could embed some colorful stones into the top surface or you could write a nice phrase in it. You could even paint it. Once all the water has evaporated, cover your stepping stone with plastic and let it harden until the next day.
C. A. Larson teaches how to do all sorts of projects. He also has the On Sale Blog to help you find good deals for the supplies and tools we all need.
