Craft » Concrete Stepping Stones
Concrete Stepping Stones
 Concrete Stepping Stones
Concrete Stepping Stones

Store bought concrete stepping stones have an industrial quality that is not always desirable in a home garden, but with the instruction of our friend Jonathan Wright you can create steppingstones with a natural appearance that will blend beautifully into whatever landscape you have.

By making an impression of one large leaf or a group of smaller leaves on the surface of the steppingstones you can create a pattern resembling naturally fallen leaves. As a walk way through the garden or path in the woods these stepping-stones will surly be a favorite element in your home landscape.

 

Materials:

1 bag Portland cement
Mixing trough or electric cement mixer
Fiberglass fibers
Leaf or leaves
Pile of sand (for base mold of leaf)
Long rubber gloves
Dust mask
Concrete pier forms (cardboard tube for casting cylindrical concrete piers)
Piece of scrap Plywood slightly larger than the diameter of the pier form for each stepping-stone

 

 

Tips:

- Waxy leaf surfaces are easier to peel from the final product.
- Blemishes, tears or holes will show in the end product.
- Choose leaves with prominent veins for more dramatic results.

 

Directions:

1. Cover the surface of each scrap plywood piece with a layer of sand. The sand will be the base of the mold. With a sharp blade or a Sawzall slice the pier form into several 8-inch rings then set one ring on top of the sandy plywood surface.

2. Wearing gloves and a dust mask mix your desired amount of concrete in a ratio of 1 part Portland cement to 3 parts bar sand and a pinch of fiberglass fibers. Mix the concrete and sand evenly and add water. The mixture should be thick and wet but not drippy. A consistency like brownie batter is perfect.

3. Lay the leaf or leaves (veins facing up) inside the ring on the sandy surface. Cover the entire surface of the ring allowing the leaves to travel up the sides of the pier form this way when the stepping-stone is complete its sides will also have a leaf impression.

4. Inside each ring hand-pack concrete onto the leaf surface until it is about 3-inches thick. After two to three days remove the stepping-stones from the rings.
Carefully peal off the leaves. If the leaves are sticking let the stepping-stones cure for a few more days before gently scrubbing leaves off with a soft brush. Take care not to mar the concrete surface while scrubbing. Once the concrete has hardened begin wetting it every day, covering with wet burlap to ensure constant moisture. Constant moisture and a slow long, moist curing time 2-4 weeks means a more solid and frost proof end product.

Special thanks to:
Jonathan Wright, Horticulturist
Chanticleer Garden
www.chanticleergarden.org