Don't Throw Away Broken Bricks, Turn Them Into A Garden Pathway

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You might assume that broken, disorderly bricks should be destined for the garbage pile. The good news is that what can appear like trash can truly be treasure with the right DIY skills. Repurposing old bricks can be an easy way to update your garden with a beautiful pathway. Plus, by using broken bricks that you have lying around, you can save a lot of money for other things like a DIY project that'll add privacy and comfort to your open backyard. It also doesn't matter if your bricks don't look very presentable because the goal is to piece them together into a lovely mosaic-style design. Strange shapes and sharp edges won't matter for the end result to look great.

Before you get down to business setting out your brick path, you'll need to source your supplies. First, ensure you have enough brick material to lay out the size of the path that you want in your garden. There are many ways to repurpose leftover bricks for DIY garden decor, but this project is one of the more practical options. It's especially ideal for reusing old bricks in different colors that are leftover from other projects. You'll need a type of small gravel to serve as the base of the path and paver sand to put on top. Consider trying Rhino's Polymeric Sand for Pavers for $36.99, which can be used for walkways. You'll also need something to fill in the gaps between your mosaic brick pieces to hold everything together, like decomposed granite or mortar.

Prior to placing your broken bricks, you need to set the stage for the final product. After clearly marking your future path, prepare the ground, removing grass and vegetation and revealing the soil beneath. You might need to add more dirt to ensure a path that's level with the surrounding area. Then you should layer gravel on top of the leveled dirt and then paver sand on top of that. The paver sand ensures your brick pieces will not shift. After your bricks are set in place, go in with decomposed granite or a different filler to create a solid, stable path. 

The real fun begins once you're ready to lay your bricks down. Consider the entire exercise like a puzzle, and be prepared to change your mind about placement a dozen times. Working with the different pieces, try to avoid placing similar shapes right next to each to achieve a perfect random look. Don't put too much focus on creating exact matches. Mosaics allow for space between shapes, letting you create a wider path with less material. Plus, adding a wide, brick path to your garden is a landscaping trick that'll help keep ticks away from other areas of your garden. If you find yourself running out of brick pieces, you might create a mixed path using bricks and pebbles for a more eclectic, bohemian garden theme. Add a little flair by placing your bricks in designs, like flowers or butterflies, to accentuate a flower garden.