Use Dollar Tree Serving Trays To Create Budget-Friendly Pavers With A Smart DIY

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When it comes to DIY garden ideas, many of them are either too plain, too common, or too cute. For example, when you're looking to create pavers for your garden without spending a fortune, a lot of the projects can be hard to style in a sophisticated manner. Whether it's ideas that use plant saucers or old baking molds to create budget-friendly pavers, half the challenge is taking them beyond just a whimsical garden idea and turning them into something that really elevates your home's curb appeal. We found a smart DIY that uses a serving tray from Dollar Tree to create flower-shaped concrete pavers, and it can be styled in a variety of ways without costing you a lot of money.

Cast colorful and folksy flowers that pair well with the 2026 garden gnome trend, or fashion these pavers in a texture-rich monochrome aesthetic using a charcoal pigment and arranging some dark stones around them. From rustic to modern, there's a way to get just the look you want. The 12-inch Crystal-Cut Chip and Dip Trays, which only cost $2.00 each, give you a four-petal flower shape, and you can get an assortment of styles using the Caterer's Corner Veggie Trays. Whether you're thinking about using this DIY as a summer art project for the kids or want a simple and fun way to make a path for a special garden, you can reuse these molds, so you only need one or two. 

Regardless of what your style will be or what mold you're using, start by coating the mold with vegetable oil, then mix a batch of Quikrete. You can also use the 4-2-1 rule to mix your own concrete, just remember that you want a mixture that's thick, because too much water can weaken it. Wearing gloves, use a stick or trowel to mix it in a bucket or tub in small amounts so you don't have a lot of extra left over. This is the step where you can add pigment to your concrete if you want to make it a specific color.

When pouring, remember that the bottom of the mold becomes the top in this stepping stone idea. So, if you want to embed objects, such as sea shells, sea glass, or marbles, they will need to be placed at the bottom of the mold. Place the Dollar Tree serving tray mold on a flat, level surface and fill it to the top, then let it cure for at least 24 hours before releasing it from the mold.

Since your stone may come out of the tray a little rough, you can smooth the edges out, but you have to be careful to avoid damaging your casting for the first few days. Cure them in place and give them about a week before walking on them. If you use oil and clean the mold after each use, you can rinse and repeat to complete your project.

Concrete projects like this — decorative accents for light foot traffic — leave you plenty of room to be creative, and there are a lot of ways to add a fun personal touch to your yard with DIY stepping stones. For example, if you're aiming for a coastal look, you could embed seashells in the bottom of the mold and then whitewash the concrete after it cures. A rustic, cottage garden look can be achieved by staining it and placing it with pebbles and wildflowers.

Sealing concrete isn't a requirement, but if you stain your stepping stones and want to seal them for outdoor weather protection, there are a lot of sealers out there you can use. A 16-ounce bottle of Saavysil Silane Siloxane Penetrating Concrete Sealer, available on Amazon for under $23, is enough for a backyard project like this. It won't yellow and can be applied with a brush. 

On the other hand, if you're considering a natural, mossy look with ground covers, you could use hypertufa. This medium combines cement with organic material and perlite. It needs more curing time and will be less stable to walk on, but it adds significant charm as it ages and would be perfect for a pathway or garden bed with lights and a fairy garden.