Stepping stones in a garden can create a path or patio, or simply point the way on a visual trail through your garden. They make a great DIY project year round, and most can be easily done on a covered craft table or in a corner of the garage. This is a great project to get creative with and allow your personality, or the personality of your garden shine through. Here are our favorite DIY stepping stone projects, complete with instructions for creating your own.

Our Basic Stepping Stone Recipe

• Portland Cement

• Water

• Mold

• Release Agent (We use Pam)

• Decorative elements

You can use almost anything as a mold, as long as it’s smooth and can release the stone once it’s cured. I like disposable plastic containers, becasue the stone will pop right out like ice cubes from a tray. You could line boxes with plastic wrap, use cake pans or even line nursery flats for large stones.  Trick we learned: if you are making a large stepping stone, or one that has a lot of detail and therefore not as thick, place a piece of chicken wire into the mold after you have poured or applied half the concrete. Then apply the rest of the concrete over the wire. This will strengthen your stones so they are less likely to crack. As you see in the photo below, partially burying the stones into gravel or soil will help protect the more delicate edges from breaking.

 

Starting with our feature photo above, this tutorial comes from The Mizelle Group and uses a rubber doormat to create the wonderful textured pattern in the stepping stone that you see above.

 

Next is one of our favorites – from Family Crafts, this tutorial takes you through using a leaf to create these garden stones that are more like natural art! Here are the instructions.

 

This is another example from Garden Mama.

 

Fine Gardening provides a good post on creating pebble mosaic stepping stones here. You can also use this technique to make larger areas of patio or pathway. I’m fascinated by this art form using only natural elements!

 

Here is another idea, same technique.

 

And this one by artist Jeffery Bale, he explains how here.

 

If you want a simpler project, try these stones created by Madigan Made, using just concrete and plastic trays! Instructions here.

 

These last two are easier still… purchased stepping stones with paint. This first one is from Benjamin Moore using a stamp and concrete stain. I would link to the instructions for you, but that is them!

 

Finally, if you are looking for a fun project with the kids, this is it. Birds and Blooms has these easy glow in the dark stones we love! Here’s how.

 

Let us know which of these projects you plan to try!