Homemade Stepping Stone Craft

Get footloose and fancy free with this fun craft project.

Submitted by
Sonam Adinolf

Stepping stones cost a pretty penny at garden supply shops, but your kid can make one cheaply by raiding local crafts and hardware stores. Plus, you'll finally have something to do with all those seashells your kid collects every time she hits the beach!

Mold:
Aluminum cake pans, plastic planter saucers or even old pizza boxes make great molds for stepping stones. Or get fancy and buy molds from your local crafts store. Always Brilliant sells them online, too.
Concrete:
You can buy quick-setting cement like Quickrete for about two bucks a bag (one bag makes about 12 stones) or pick up a special stepping-stone mix at your local crafts store for about five bucks a bag (one bag makes one stone).
Embellishments:
Marbles, seashells, bottle caps, pieces of colorful glass (careful!), glass globs, stones, broken dishes, tiles, etc.
Imprinting items:
Like leaves, sticks, cookie cutters or your kid's hands and feet. (If your kid does imprint the stone with his digits, make sure to have soap and water handy to wash the cement off immediately, as it can be dangerous.)
Newspaper or drop cloth:
To protect the work surface.
Rubber gloves
Protective eyewear:
Be safe (and dorky) and make sure you and your kid protect your eyes when mixing the cement. Sunglasses are a great alternative to goggles.
Water:
To mix the concrete and to wash it off your hands.
Nonstick cooking spray
A mixing stick:
Something you don't want to keep, like a sturdy tree branch.
Sand:
Scoop some out of the sandbox!
An old outfit for you and your kid:
Don't wear your favorite new outfit or you'll regret it when it gets splattered with concrete!
An old spoon or shovel:
To use with the concrete.
Old measuring cup
An old bowl:
To mix the concrete in.

Pick a location for the project that you don't mind getting messy (in other words, you don't want to do this project on the carpet). While the yard is ideal for the mess factor, you don't want to work in a windy spot or the concrete will dry too quickly.
Prepare the workspace by laying down newspaper or a drop cloth and collecting all the materials. There's a lot of stuff, so you may want to print the list above.
Then have your kid pick out her mold. Plastic planter saucers are the easiest makeshift molds to work with because you don't have to prep them and the cement pops out easily. (It stinks to do all the mixing and pouring only to have your stone stuck in the mold.)
If you use a pie pan, help your kid prep the mold by spraying it with cooking spray and sprinkling sand on the bottom and sides. If you're using a store-bought mold, follow the instructions it came with.
Mix the concrete (a grownup should do this!) and be sure to follow the instructions on the bag to a T.
Don't add all the water at once. The concrete will seem to dry at first, but don't let that fool you into pouring in more water. If it's too wet, it'll take forever to dry. (And we all know how much patience your kid has!)
On the other hand, don't work with cement that is too dry, or your stone will crack. Add water one tablespoon at a time so as not to overcompensate.
Start mixing the cement from one edge of the container. Work in a little of the dry mix at a time. If you try to stir the whole thing like cake batter, the mixing stick will break.
If you're using Quickrete, use five parts water to one part cement mix.
Your finished cement mixture should be the consistency of cookie dough, not liquid.
Whatever you do, DON'T pour the leftover cement down the drain! It will coat your pipes.
Next, help your kid begin scooping the cement into the mold with an old spoon or shovel. The stepping-stone should be at least 2-inches thick.
Shake and tap the mold a few times to get the cement nice and even and to get rid of any air bubbles.
While the cement is still wet, remove any excess with a stick. Clean up any spills pronto before they dry.
Let the cement set for 30 minutes to an hour.
Now the fun part! Invite your kid to decorate the stepping-stone with the embellishments and/or imprinting items. Some tips and ideas:
Have her spell her name out in marbles.
Have her imprint the cement with her hands and feet. Hand or footprints should be pressed twice to get them deep enough.
Get your artistic kid to create a picture (a flower, a cat, a landscape, etc.) using glass, mosaic tiles or broken plate pieces.
Make cool designs by pressing leaves, pennies or stones (anything with a cool texture) into the cement.
Have her use the zillions of shells she's collected over the years.
Have your kid lay all of her design pieces gently down on the concrete before pressing them in. That way she can work out the layout before committing to the design.
If she messes up, just remove the embellishments and help her flatten out the cement with a stick or spoon. She can add a little water to slick it down and make it smooth again.
Once the stone is decorated, your kid should let it sit undisturbed for two to three days. Don't move it while it's setting or it may crack! (Keep that in mind when you decide where to put it.)
To make the cement stronger, your kid can baste the cement with a light layer of water daily while it sets.
When her masterpiece is dry, pop it out of the mold.
Let the stepping stone sit for a week before placing it outside to make sure it's all dry and good to go!
Then place it in the garden or on a path. Push it into the ground so it doesn't stick up more than a ½-inch so no one trips.