Repurpose Extra Pie Pans For This Easy But Beautiful Garden Project
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One fun way to celebrate and remember life's special moments is by making your own concrete stepping stones for your garden. With just a few supplies, you can craft a decorative, personalized accent for your yard — or make several stepping stones to form a budget-friendly DIY path. This project is also a great hands-on activity to share with kids. They'll love getting their hands dirty; just be sure to have an adult present to mix the cement and supervise the project.
To get started, you'll need a mold — disposable pie tins work perfectly, but any shallow container at least 1.5 inches deep will do. Embossed silicone cake pans are another option that can add beautiful shapes and details to your stepping stone. This project requires water and quick-setting cement; YouTuber Wendi Gardens completed hers using one 10-pound bag of Quikrete mixed with 800 milliliters (a little over 3 ¼ cups) of water per stepping stone.
Do note that things can get quite messy: Wear safety goggles, gloves, and a dust mask or respirator to protect yourself from the cement dust, and cover your work surface with a tarp. A hand trowel and a 5-gallon bucket will help with mixing and smoothing the cement, while a coating of non-stick cooking spray or petroleum jelly will allow your completed stone to slide easily from its mold. Acrylic paint, paint brushes, and a waterproof topcoat like Gator Hide from Dixie Belle are helpful to decorate and preserve your design. There are all sorts of decorative elements you could add, including mosaic tiles, glass gems, shells, or stones — use them to customize your stepping stones and take your landscaping to the next level.
How to create your DIY stepping stone
Crafting your own stepping stone is really quite simple. Start with a clean pie tin or other vessel, and coat the inside with the spray or jelly. Place any decorative elements you'd like to appear on the surface of your stepping stone on the bottom of the pan. Before mixing the cement, put on your gloves, safety goggles, and mask or respirator. Combine the water and concrete mix in your bucket according to the package instructions. Stir the mixture with your trowel until it reaches the recommended consistency, then pour it into your prepared tin. Use your hands or trowel to smooth and level the cement at the top of your mold. Gently tap its sides to release any trapped air bubbles, and let the stone sit for at least 24 hours.
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To prevent chipping, release your stone from its mold onto a soft, flat surface. You could simply leave it as is, or paint and seal it. For special occasions like birthdays, add dates and hand or paw prints. The stone will add personality and beauty to your garden — you may even want to make more to create a stepping-stone path or fun and easy garden decor to scatter about your outdoor space.