Casting stepping stones

Stepping stones can be less obtrusive and more interesting than solid pathways. Not to mention that they are much cheaper to lay – particularly if you want to create a long path to somewhere. So instead of laying a solid pathway, just set a few stepping stones along the track.  
Why don’t you make these stepping stones even more interesting by making them yourself? It’s simple and easy – you just need a mould & some concrete. Concrete is cheap, easy to mix and very durable. However, it’s quite heavy so don’t make large pieces..

You need:

• Kitchen knife
• Ready-mix concrete
• Thick sheet of polystyrene
• Strip of thin aluminium  (about 4inch, 10cm wide)
• Wooden batten
• Duct tape
• WD-40 or cooking oil

First draw a shape onto a large piece of card or paper – this could be anything, such as a heart, butterfly, pebble, circle etc. Remember, don’t make it too big -  a piece of more than 18 inch (45cm)  will be too heavy to lift. Cut out your shape and trace it onto a sheet of polystyrene. Then bend the aluminium strip around the template and tape the ends together with the duct-tape. You now have a mould.

Cut a groove along the shape on the polystyrene and press the aluminium mould firmly into the groove. Be careful with your hands, the edge of the aluminium is very sharp – use a rubber mallet and a piece of wood to do this. Make sure the mould is firmly embedded in the polystyrene. Oil the inside of the mould – this will stop the concrete sticking to the mould.

Mix the concrete with water in a bucket according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Pour the wet mixture into the mould and let it level itself. Tap the sides of the mould to release any air bubbles. If you want to have any patterns on the surface such as waves, circles or swirls – draw these with your fingers (best to wear  some gloves!).

The mixture will begin to set in about 30 minutes.  Leave it for a couple of days before removing the aluminium mould. Leave the stone to dry completely for another couple of days.

You can reuse this mould to create as many stepping stones as you want but if you need lots of steps, this could take weeks, so maybe you should make more than one mould to create more steps at a time.

When you have enough stepping stones, you’re ready to set them – in the next article we’ll let you know how>> setting stepping stones