Create Garden Stepping Stones With This Simple Budget-Friendly DIY

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Stepping stones offer a great option to minimize foot traffic on your grass and can help prevent the lawn from becoming worn out in certain areas. You can buy them from places like Home Depot starting at anywhere from $2 a piece. And some homeowners will mix their own concrete to create these stones. But what if there is a way to avoid that step and save time while resulting in the same amazing look? Well, there is — simply create a mold using landscape edging and fill it with the dry pour concrete method.

Dry pouring concrete is a method where the dry mix is poured into a mold and then topped off with water. Whereas your typical concrete mix will need to be combined with water and mixed in a container first, and then poured. An advantage of dry pouring concrete is the omission of this step — so no wheelbarrows or tiring mixing sessions. If you're looking to give your backyard a makeover with stylish concrete stepping stones, this simple DIY is worth considering.

You can buy a 10-pound bag of QUIKRETE Concrete Mix for roughly $18. The Gardzen Landscape Edging Kit can be purchased for $38 online, and it includes spikes. Edging typically comes in either plastic or metal, with the latter being more expensive. To effectively create a budget for this project, you'll first need to determine the area you want to cover, along with the number and size of the stepping stones you want.

You'll be amazed by how easily you can transform a garden with a row of stepping stones, and in just a matter of hours. So to start this project, you'll need concrete mix, flexible landscape edging, edging spikes, and some lawn tools. The first step is to determine and measure the path for your stepping stone, as well as the diameter and height of your stones to cut your edging accordingly. After this, prepare the ground area for each stone by digging up the grass so that you can lay your stepping stones level to the grass, or higher for a bolder presentation.

Make the dirt compact using your shovel and then level it, as this helps provide adequate support and prevents the stone from leaning. Afterward, place your edging down in the space, securing it with spikes. Next, pour your concrete inside the edging and mist the top of it with water until the concrete darkens. Do this again in 30 minutes, and then every hour for the next three hours. Wait 24 to 48 hours for the concrete to cure, then remove the edging and test it out. 

Note that you can use crushed rock or sand to fill in the spaces around the finished stone after removing the edging. And don't forget to follow the number one rule to get perfectly spaced stepping stones, which is to first test them with various members of your household to ensure that they're easy to walk on. After all, you don't want to find yourself having to leap from stone to stone.

One way to make this simple DIY your own is to add interesting edge corners or curves to your stepping stones. Don't limit yourself to just boring squares and circles — have some fun with it. You can also add colorful rocks, such as these FANTIAN River Rocks, to the stones or use stencils, such as these JIUMEI Mandala Stencils, to create designs inside them. Explore different pigment powders, like the blue Huixiang Concrete Coloring, to liven up your backyard with a colorful path. Sometimes, all it takes is a little texture to add character and an earthy feel to your outdoor decor. 

So, if you're looking for more ways to jazz up the stones, try incorporating some intricate mosaic patterns or other designs that'll help them make a statement. It's always best to experiment on just one stone at a time before changing multiple pieces. And it may even be helpful to create a smaller, experimental "test stone" just for this purpose. This way, you can save time and money by using less cement and other materials if you're dissatisfied with the end result.