Make a Stepping Stone | Seattle's Child

By Wenda Reed

Published August 2010

Updated August 3, 2010

We had a boring expanse of river rocks behind our back deck. One afternoon, my husband, two children and I decorated it with a ribbon of memories in the form of imbedded stepping stones.

We mixed concrete mix from the hardware store with water in a heavy bucket, pushed the rocks and sand aside to make roughly circular indentations, and filled them with the concrete mix. The kids pressed rocks collected from the beach into the wet mix, making smiley faces and other, random designs. In some of the stones, we pressed leaves, hands or the dog's paws to make an impression. (Do not try with cats.) In others, we scratched designs or words with a stick.

You can make a row of stepping stones, like we did, poured directly into dirt, sand, gravel or rocks, or make individual stepping stones by pouring the concrete mix into a mold. Either way, your family will be able to enjoy a fun project while making a lasting mark on the landscape around your home. Here's what you'll need.

1. Gather Your Materials

• ConcreteConcrete mix from the hardware store is good if you're making a number of stones. A 60-lb. bag is about $3.50 for the cheapest kind, about $14 for "rapid set" ready-mix products. Slowly add clean water to the desired amount of powder, mixing it thoroughly until it is the consistency of stiff batter. Craft stores, including Ben Franklin and Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts, sell 7-pound bags of Stonecraft Portland Cement Mix for $8.99; it's enough for one 12-inch or two 8-inch stones. (It's $3.90 online atwww.enasco.com.) Mix it with about two cups of water until it is as thick as sour cream and there is no dry powder visible.

• MoldsFor an individual stepping stone, you'll need a mold. Plastic or vinyl molds in a variety of shapes from round, square, heart-shaped and octagonal to butterflies or flowers are about $4 in craft stores. Sarah Donnelly, a local mosaic artist and author of Easy Mosaics for Your Home and Garden, suggests old pie pans or springform pans with the sides angled outward, vinyl plant saucers, garbage can lids or disposable plastic food containers. You can use a putty knife, ruler or wall scraper to smooth the surface of the concrete.

• DecorationsIt's fun to decorate the stones with imbedded found objects. Craft stores sell boxes of stained glass fragments or ceramic tiles for $8 to $9. Or you can create your own by buying bits of junk glass or dishes at a thrift store, putting them in a sock or towel and hitting them with a hammer. Sand sharp edges or have your child wear gloves. Other ideas include marbles, pieces of broken mirror, rhinestones, beads, buttons, coins, bottle caps, rocks or shells. Don't use plastic or rubber items, as they do not adhere to concrete.

2. Set up Your SpaceIf you're not working directly in the ground, cover your work area with newspapers or plastic. You'll need a bowl of soapy water to rinse off hands or paws and a dust mask to use when mixing concrete. Assemble all of your materials beforehand so that the concrete does not begin to set up before you are finished.

3. Get CreativeYou can make impressions in the concrete with leaves, hands, feet, cookie cutters, stamps or old toys. Write or draw on the stepping stone with a special wooden tool sold in craft stores or use a screwdriver, stick or old pencil. Wash body parts or items off immediately in the bowl of soapy water. Do not use the sink, as the concrete can clog drains.

You will have about an hour to work before your concrete begins to harden. When you are finished, leave your stepping stone in a dry place for 24 hours. Wait 48 hours before removing your stone from its mold and 14 days before walking on it.

If working from scratch seems daunting, you can always make it simpler by buying a kit with concrete mix, reusable plastic mold, wooden paddle, wooden writing tool and directions – with or without stained glass or other mosaic pieces – for $16 to $23 at arts or craft stores, Target, some toys stores or on amazon.com. Redmond-based Milestones makes the most readily-available and popular kits.

Find ideas for more elaborate designs in Donnelly's book, Easy Mosaics for Your Home and Garden (North Light Books, 2001).

Wenda Reed is a Bothell writer and gardener.