Homemade stepping stones?

[mammabooh]

I posted this down in the gardening forum too, but I thought it might get seen by more folks up here...

Homemade stepping stones?

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I made up a story last night and told it to our 7-year-old son at bedtime about a pig and his mamma. The little pig (Arthur) was being a bad pig and broke his mamma's favorite plate (ya know, it's really hard to carry a plate when you have cloven hooves). Instead of yelling at Arthur, Mamma decided to do a fun craft. They wrapped the plate pieces in a few paper towels, then in some plastic, and whacked it a couple times with a rolling pin. When they had broken the glass into many different pieces, they made up a form with some scrap lumber and mixed up some quikcrete. They poured the crete into the form (after spraying the form with some silicone for ease of release), allowed it to set for just a bit, an then carefully added their broken glass to the top. They let it dry, turned the form over, and gave it a little whack to release the stepping stone. Arthur and his mamma had such fun with it, that they decided to go to Goodwill and get a bunch more pretty plates and some marbles with which to make more stepping stones. Our son loved the idea and said "Mamma...we need to do that!".

So, my questions are...can we use quikcrete, or would something else work better? I'd like to use them for our front walkway so they will get quite a bit of traffic.

What would be a good thickness? We are in zone 5 and get quite a lot of snow...is this even a good idea for something that will be outside for many years?

If we can do this, should we use any sort of protective glaze when we are done, or jut leave them raw?

Suggestions?

[Rocky Fields]

Hey.

Sackrete is good. The shards may make the top of the stones slippery with snow or rain. I'd go three inches thick, so they don't crack easy. A coat of waterproofing would seal the cement, but it's expensive. Make sure nothing with a sharp edge sticks up out of the concrete...you know how kids like to run barefoot during the summer.

RF

[Roadking]

Hi! I have made stepping stones in the past; we use "vinyl concrete patcher" by Quickcrete (found at Lowe's/Home Depot) as this kinds 'flexes' with the freeze/thaw (we're in z5 also). I have plastic forms- round circles- but you can make your own by slicing down sauna tubes or even sturdy boxes. For thickness, 2" is fine; go thicker if it'll be in a heavy-traffic area. I lay down plastic sheeting (like an old shower curtain, table cloth, even a trashbag) set the form on and fill with the concrete mix. Then, press in the decorations. If using something smooth- like plate bits or marbles- be sure to squish it down in, so that the cement goes up over the edges, or else it may fall off the stone. You can even 'write' your name on the stone using a stick; I have also made them with our kids' handprints (makes a really neat gift for Grandparents ;-) & pets' pawprints! Michael's craft store sells all sorts of do-dads to put in the stones, as well as "dye" for the cement and letters/numbers to stamp the stone with. Allow to cure a while, then remove the form, and let cure fully. I've painted a few by mixing acryllic paint with water and brushing on (gives a 'stain' effect), it fades over time giving a weathered look.

Have fun! Tons of uses for these- edging, outdoor tables, birdbaths, etc. I've seen really cute ones for kids done by pressing in those little plastic toy animals & dinosaurs!

[mammabooh]

Originally Posted by Rocky Fields

Hey.
Make sure nothing with a sharp edge sticks up out of the concrete...you know how kids like to run barefoot during the summer.

RF

Here it's the mamma who is most likely to be barefoot (and not just during the summer)!

[Cabin Fever]

Building supply stores like Lowes and Home Depot sell concrete forms for stepping stone pathways. The forms/molds that I've seen result in a walkway of faux fieldstone (or flagstone) pieces that interlock with a 1" space between "stones." You can buy colors to add to the concrete as well. I would recommend adding fiber to the concrete for added strength.

[Aintlifegrand]

Originally Posted by Cabin Fever

Building supply stores like Lowes and Home Depot sell concrete forms for stepping stone pathways. The forms/molds that I've seen result in a walkway of faux fieldstone (or flagstone) pieces that interlock with a 1" space between "stones." You can buy colors to add to the concrete as well. I would recommend adding fiber to the concrete for added strength.

Like what kind of substance for fiber?

[Cabin Fever]

Originally Posted by Aintlifegrand

Like what kind of substance for fiber?

The reinforcemtn fibers are ususally fiberglass. Concrete ready mixes that are labeled as "crack resistant" iare usually fiber-reinforced concrete mixes.

[NCLee]

If you just do one or two, as a craft project, with your son, check with Michaels craft store. I've seen kits there to make them.

http://www.michaels.com/art/online/d...ductNum=gc0377
http://www.michaels.com/art/online/d...ductNum=gc0381

Here's some plans that may be useful.
http://www.michaels.com/art/online/p...eet?pid=e04287
http://www.michaels.com/art/online/p...eet?pid=e04289

Hope this helps.
Lee

[Wolf mom]

If you go online, you can find great molds in many different shapes. The most interesting I've seen was a gecko that interlocked with itself for a solid walkway.

[ronbre]

i made hundreds of cobblestones using a mold and a single bag of concrete in a single bag mixer you roll on the ground..it took me weeks..but i made an entire patio..using quickrete.

you can do it with quickrete and any mold..or just a hole in the ground where the sod is removed if you want them permanent.

even the cover of a trashcan works in a pinch..

if you use a mold you need a release to get the concrete out unless you take the mold off while the concrete is still wet (which i did with the form)

some mosaic pieces stick less well than others..you need to imbed them fairly deeply..

there are good books..i have one on pebble mosaics..check Amazon