The Amazon Find That Lets You DIY Budget-Friendly Pavers

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Stone patios and garden paths make it possible for you to enjoy the outdoors while avoiding muddy grass and bugs, all while elevating your backyard design. However, the thought of shelling out hundreds or even thousands of dollars to buy a "patio on a pallet" or enlist professional services is enough to keep you from achieving your goals. Not to mention, the alternative is to DIY it, which means laying and arranging stones one by one. You may be able to save on costs by using molds to create concrete pavers, but it will take time for each stone to set, and you still have to determine how to arrange them. Thankfully, there are cheap, thoughtfully designed molds to help you get the job done without taking out a loan.

The Walk Maker Pathmate Stone Moldings on Amazon allow you to create a group of nine connected concrete pieces that have the look of organic cobblestones. Overall, customers are very happy with this purchase. It has well over 2,000 reviews and a 4.4-star rating. Multiple reviews mentioned that it worked well, but would have been better if they had more than one or two molds to work with at a time. For reference, each mold measures 16.9 inches wide and long, and has a depth of 1.5 inches. You can get one for under $23 or a two-pack for under $40. Based on customer feedback, you may benefit from ordering several if you're designing a large patio or lengthy pathway. This way, you don't have to stop and wait for the concrete to dry before reusing the mold. 

In addition to the molds, you'll need a few bags of concrete mix (depending on the size of your project). The Home Depot sells 80-pound bags for less than $6. You'll also need gravel to act as the base for the stone pathway or patio, which you can find in 60-pound bags for under $7. If you don't want to hand-mix the concrete, you can rent an electric mixer from The Home Depot for around $50 a day, depending on your location. Have a shovel on hand to transfer the concrete mix onto the mold and use a finishing trowel to smooth everything over and ensure the mixture fills in each hole. Don't forget a safety mask and gloves — one of the biggest DIY concrete mistakes is not wearing proper equipment, resulting in the inhalation of harmful particles and skin burns. Assuming you have the necessary kit and only need a couple of bags of concrete and gravel, you could essentially complete the project for under $150 — way better than potentially thousands of dollars.

However, it will be 24 hours before you can remove the mold, which is why purchasing multiple is your best bet to complete the project quickly. If you're trying to avoid spending $80 on four individual molds or multiple 2-packs of stone molds, you'll be happy to know that the same company sells a walk maker 4-pack for $44.99. However, the size of each mold is reduced to 13.8 inches wide and long, so it all depends on your preference. Customers also suggested having sand or mortar to fill in the gaps between the stones. Alternatively, take advantage of the spacing by planting fragrant ground cover, moss, or herbs in the cracks.