Use An Old Rubber Doormat To DIY Budget-Friendly Pavers On The Cheap

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If you're creating a special garden spot this season, adding a little structure goes a long way. Features like garden benches or trellises say "this isn't your average garden" and make you want to linger a spell to soak in the magic. Paths are a key element of special gardens like these, and if you want to go beyond plain, inexpensive concrete pavers without spending a lot of money, you can DIY stylish concrete stepping stones using old rubber doormats for the design.

To make custom concrete pavers using an old rubber doormat, build a simple wooden frame from two-by-fours. Screw them together so that the inside of the frame is the size you want for the stepping stone. Cut a piece of plywood for the bottom of the mold that fits snugly inside, but can come out when it's time to release it. For the doormat stamp, cut a piece of old rubber doormat the same size as the plywood and width of the mold. Then, before pouring the concrete mix, brush vegetable oil onto the mold and doormat stamp to act as a releasing agent.

Mix your concrete according to the instructions on the package. When you fill the mold, be sure to leave at least ½-inch at the top for the stamp. Press the upside-down piece of doormat into the cement and leave it there, weighing it down with another piece of plywood.

The initial cement curing process takes about 36 to 48 hours, depending on factors like humidity and temperature. When the concrete starts to pull away from the mold, you can pull the doormat stamp off. If you do this too soon, the cement will be green and tender, but wait too long and the concrete will be too hard to finish. Once you do a few, you'll see why the timing matters. Allow the stepping stones time to cure completely (about a week) before walking on them, otherwise you risk cracking them.

For even more whimsical garden stepping stones, you can add color to your concrete in a few ways. Adding iron oxide pigments to the concrete mix before you pour is an easy way to get a brick red color. You can also use a product like Concrete Floor Supply's Concrete Acid Stain to create a wide range of colors, then seal them with Evo Dyne Concrete Sealer. Concrete can also be painted if it's fully cured, properly prepared, and you use the right paint.

There are a lot of ways to repurpose an old doormat, but if this idea sounds like fun and you don't actually have an old rubber doormat laying around, keep your eye out for the inexpensive ones that go on sale at home centers from time to time. Once you have the mold and rubber doormat stamp, both can be reused multiple times.