Making garden stepping stones was a favorite craft of mine from my own childhood. I mean, how often do kids get to work with cement!
This activity is perfect for gifts or for your own family as keepsake crafts! Considering they are made from cement-you know that they will be around for a while.
Don’t let the cement part of this craft fool you either-it’s a surprisingly simple craft to make!
The garden stepping stones that I took photos of for this post were made as a birthday gift by my kiddos for their grandpa!
My toddlers loved this craft and my three-year old in particular was so pleased with how they turned out! Making something permanent was so fun for her.
If you are looking for more easy craft gift ideas check out canvas magnets!
What You Need
- Cement (I used Quikrete concrete mix for easy mixing and fast hardening)Â
- Non-stick Cake Pans (or whatever shape you want them to be)
- Non-stick pans will make it that much easier for the project to pop out when dry! The cement won’t even leave behind scratches!Â
- Glass stones, sea glass, pebbles, ect. Anything you want to use to decorate!
How to Make
Prep! When using quick cement you need to make sure that you prep everything you need first. Make sure you have everything you need laid out and ready to go.
Mix your cement by following the directions on the bag. If you do need to add more water remember to add more in very small increments.
Pour the cement into your molds. Aim for at least 2 inches thick. It’s going to look like a mess when you pour it in but have faith!
Once your cement is poured, give your pans a couple gentle drops (from like 1 inch up in the air) and a few gentle shakes side to side. By doing this you also will pop any of the air bubbles that you want to avoid. You should see the cement form a flat and even surface.
Decorating
Depending on how wet your cement is you may need to let it set for a few minutes before decorating. You want the top to be just slightly firm so that your decorations don’t drop all the way to the bottom.
You will know it’s ready to decorate when you can lay on a glass pebble on top and it mostly sits on the surface BUT it is also very easy to gently push into the mold.
When decorating gently push your decorating pieces into the cement.
I say this knowing that my toddlers pushed some of the glass pebbles in with all their might, haha! But if it’s made by toddlers then it should look like it’s made by toddlers is what I think!
There are so many fun designs you can make in these garden stones! I love the ones with handprints as well. My toddlers went a little less for a design and more of just having fun with it, haha. 🙂
Once you are done, allow the cement to harden for 24-48 hours.
Allow them to dry
Releasing the garden stone from the mold is very easy. Turn it over and it may release with a few taps on the back.
For these I raised the cake pan about 6 inches in the air and then let them drop onto the grass. The garden stone released instantly!
If you are struggling to remove it from the mold, allow it to dry for longer. The middle of the cement may not be dry causing it to stick.
Garden Stepping Stones Done!
There you have it! This project is perfect for Father’s day, mothers day, birthdays or as a special keepsake item in your own garden!
