HOMEMADE STEPPING STONES...JAN, JANET, ANYONE THAT WANTS TO KNOW HOW...

Making Your Own Garden Stepping Stones What you will need: Molds Cement Decorations/Embellishments Mold Ideas: Plastic Planter Saucer - for round stepping stones. Reusable. Old Cake Pans - you should coat the pan with cooking spray or petroleum jelly. Tip: Try using a layer of sand on the bottom of the pan. When the mold is hard it pops right out, just brush the sand off the bottom and its ready. More Mold Options - small pizza boxes, aluminum pans, ice cream buckets, plastic storage boxes. Cement Tips: Quick-Setting Concrete - Quikrete, under $2 for a 60-pound bag. - a little pebbly - makes at least a dozen stones. Stepping Stone Concrete - find this at crafts stores - made especially for use in stepping stones. The average cost - $5 to make 1 stone. Decoration Ideas: Marbles, Pebbles/Stones, Shells, Beads, Flat Marble/Gems, Small Mosaic Tiles, Beach Glass, Stained Glass, Special Mementos/Souvenirs Things to use to make prints/designs on the stones: Cookie Cutters, Handprints - Paw Prints, Leaves, Popsicle Stick (to write names or verses), Patio Paint (or other outdoor paint), Stencils Step by Step - How to Make Your Stepping Stones 1. Protect your work surface and yourself. Lay down some newspaper, plastic sheeting, an old tablecloth, etc. Weather permitting, you can make these outside. Always wear eye protection and rubber gloves. 2. Set your mold on your work surface. If you are using a special stepping stone mold follow any special directions it came with. 3. You can use clear, plastic planter saucers. You don't need to do anything to prepare them. If you use a cake pan or other household item, you should try coating them with a liberal layer of cooking spray or petroleum jelly. 4. Mix up the concrete. Follow the manufacturers directions on the bag of concrete you are using. For Quikrete you can use a mixture of 5 parts concrete to 1 par****er. You should have the consistency of soft cookie dough. 5. Fill the mold about half full and smooth it down. Lay your cut piece of screening or hardware cloth into the mold and then finish scooping the cement into the mold until full. 6. Gently tap around the outside of your mold to help remove any air bubbles and also to help even out the top. Now leave your stepping stone to set up for 30 to 60 minutes before you add any embellishments or decorations - this is more important if you are making handprints or other prints in the cement. 7. Once the cement has been given some time to set up, you can start decorating it. If you make a mistake, you can simply remove the items, flatten out the top with the side of a popsicle stick or spoon, tap the sides to smooth, and start over again! 8. Leave stepping stone to sit for 2 - 3 days without being disturbed - do not move it. Once it is dry, you can gently pop it out of the mold. 9. Now, you can finish decorating it if you are planning on doing any painting. You can seal the top of your stepping stone with a clear acrylic sealer if you do use patio paints. 10. Let your stepping stone sit for another week before putting it outside. Extra Tips If you are using cement dye, remember that the wet product will always be a shade or two darker that your finished product. For best results, your stepping stones should be at least 2 inches thick. Let your stepping stone set in the mold for about 3 days. Wetting the cement daily will help make the cement stronger. Allow the stones to cure for a week before placing them outside or stepping on them. When gathering items for embellishing your stepping stones, steer clear of wooden items because they don't stick into the concrete very well. Get creative with your embellishments! Try seashells, marbles, beach glass, mosaic tiles, buttons, small toys, and mementos of any sort. Make prints in the cement after it has set for between 30 minutes to an hour. Besides handprints and paw prints. Try making prints with other items such as dog biscuits, leaves, cookie cutters, etc. If you want to try making stepping stones with pans or other household items, buy them at garage sales or thrift shops. Your cement should be the consistency of cookie dough. You want to have to scoop it into your mold, not pour it. When you place the stones in your garden they should not be raised above ground more than about 1/2-inch for risk of people tripping and falling and also so the stone doesn't break. Once the cement is poured into the mold, do not move it! This can cause cracking ************************************************************** OTHER LINKS... http://my.gardenguides.com/blogs/Mikhailah/2007/5 http://www.icangarden.com/book.cfm?task=viewDetail&itemid=111 http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/crafting/ http://artasprayer.blogspot.com/2006_08_07_archive.html I hope this helps!! Love & Prayers, Deb M

Hi Deb Thanks so much! The stepping stone that Mel helped Jon made-they put flowers in it-and I just love it-never thought of that-I plan on making more for around the pool this summer to add a little spice. Thanks for the tips. I will definitely use that-never thought of ice cream pails and such-good idea-thanks again! ALso-did you ever get my stuff in the mail? Its been 7 days today that I mailed it-By the time you get it-its gonna be outdated! LOL-ALso-thanks for the email about my mom-you always know exactly what to say and when. She is moving back to Minnesota-so I guess I am not gonna get the chance to TRY and make it better. I hope all goes well with your Dr. appt today and I am so glad to hear you are feeling better-we miss you so much when you dont get to come out and play with us-LOL... I love ya Deb, you have been in my thoughts and prayers-keep us posted, ok? I am also praying for David-I hope he gets some pain relief soon and glad your son came and got the dogs. About time, huh? Anyway-thanks for all you do-all the time-you are very much appreciated-All my love, Janet