Turn Old Fabric Into A Beautiful & Functional Garden Feature With This DIY

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That shirt with the hole in it and the snagged skirt are probably too damaged to go to the thrift store. But is the fabric pretty? Is a decent amount of it in good shape? There are endless ways to reuse fabric to create stunning upcycles, but one you might never have considered involves making stepping stones for your yard. 

Similar to decoupaging paper onto smooth surfaces, a cut of cloth can top a concrete paver and give you a garden path unlike anyone else's. Coated in UV-protectant polyurethane like Minwax Helmsman Water-Based Spar Urethane, the cloth will hold up against the sun and weather. It might not last for many years, but once its beauty fades, another layer of fabric can take its place — either directly over the old cloth or as a replacement of that original layer.

Thin woven fabrics from worn clothing, holey bedsheets, an old tablecloth you hope to repurpose, or scraps from sewing projects are all great candidates for this beginner-friendly project. Gather up enough cloth to cover all or most of one side of a paver. Pavers in any shape will work; squares are the easiest to find, but circular or octagonal ones should look just as nice covered in cloth. Along with the fabric, spar urethane, and the pavers, you'll also need a tape measure, scissors, a paintbrush, a pencil, and chalk or a fabric marker. A lint roller and a product like Aleene's Stop Fraying Adhesive may also come in handy.

You can cut out pieces of fabric that would cover the entire surface of a paver or stone or cut one or more smaller shapes to decorate the surface. Working with a piece that matches the stone's shape but is smaller will leave you with a neat border around the fabric. Alternatively, use several small pieces of cloth with a bold pattern to cover the stone's top completely.

Trace your shape (if applicable) onto the fabric with chalk and cut out the piece. Use the tape measure and pencil to mark where you'll apply the fabric if it's not covering the entire top of the stone. Center smaller shapes that match the stone's shape so that there's an even border around their edges. Similarly, lay out other shapes on the stone and trace them in pencil. If your cloth cutouts are already fraying, edge them in Aleene's first.

Using the brush, apply spar varnish to the spots where the fabric will lie and place the material over them. If there are wrinkles, you should be able to reposition the pieces if you work quickly. Once you've smoothed the cloth pieces over the first layer of polyurethane, run the lint roller over the cloth to pick up any strings or fuzz that will be trapped under the topcoats. Paint a layer of polyurethane over the stone's entire upper surface and let it dry. Follow up with another coat before making the pavers part of your perfect DIY garden path.