Vertors.comStepping Stones
DO IT YOURSELF STEPPING STONES
The first things you need are forms for your shapes, which are easy to make with scrap lumber. Simply screw (screws are better than nails for dismantling) sides the together in any shape you like – keep the shapes small so you can handle them easier for setting. The sides should be a minimum of 2″ deep. Place a piece of plywood (particle board, anything flat) on top of the sides and screw in place and flip over so the plywood is the bottom of your mold – the flat portion is down when poured, but it is the top of the stepping stone. The fun part about pouring your own stepping stones is the endless textures you can create in the top of your stepping stones by putting different patterns, textures and or shapes on the plywood before you pour.
Aluminum foil scrunched and taped to the plywood will make a stone surfaced look. With a little bit of practice, you can scrunch and flatten until the impression in the cement looks just like a piece of flagstone or slate. The trick here is to flatten the wrinkles in the aluminum foil in such a pattern that they look like a layered piece of stone.
The mix here is a little richer than above 1:2½ (that would be one shovel of cement to 2 and one half shovels of sand) then add 1/8th cup of acrylic cement adhesive per shovel of cement; add a cement color (following the manufactures directions) that will be close to a native stone color you like. The consistency should be just barely thinner than peanut butter – mix for at least 5 minutes by hand, get the mix well blended and fluffy. If you have any kind of a vibrator (a massage vibrator works well) vibrate for several minutes immediately upon pouring – this will help the cement release air bubbles and receive the impression better. For a real looking stone color; place powdered cement color in an empty baby powder bottle and sprinkle on the surfaces of the aluminum foil – two or three compatible and very similar colors will give you a more natural look.
There are an endless amount of textures that can be used for transferring to the top of the stepping stones. I have carved names, flowers etc. using a Dremmel (a high-speed miniature drill shaped like a big pencil that you can buy different carving tips for). I have scattered rusted nuts, bolts and screws for an authentic western look. You can put different wood trims and shapes along the edge where the plywood and forms join to create a nice border (I recommend something to round or smooth the edges too keep them from coming to a point and breaking off easily – a nice thick bead of caulking will suffice).
Flowered textures are beautiful. I took rose petals and covered the bottom of the mold. When the cement dried the petals were stuck in the cement but they eventually wore away leaving the perfect impression of the petal and also a nice stained color that came from the natural dye in the flower.
