social

Easy Concrete Stepping Stones

Use half flat plant containers to make fast and easy paving stones for your garden. We had a bunch of half flat containers left over from buying plants this spring. I thought they would make great stepping stone molds, but wasn't sure how to get the best results and be able to reuse the molds for future projects. I got the idea to line them with plastic and turned out to be the perfect solution.

Advertisement

Supplies

  • half flat plant containers
  • plastic garbage bags
  • scissors
  • bag of concrete mix
  • wheelbarrow or bucket to mix concrete
  • shovel

Easy Concrete Stepping Stones

 

Instructions

  1. Cut the garbage bag along the side and bottom of the bag and unfold it to make 1 large plastic sheet.
  2. Easy Concrete Stepping Stones
     
  3. Cut the garbage bags to fit as a lining to the half flat containers. We found that we could easily get 4 from each garbage bag.
  4. Easy Concrete Stepping Stones
     
  5. Line the half flat containers with the cut pieces of plastic. We found it helpful to wrap any extra loose plastic around the bottom of the mold as it was a bit windy that day. Keep it as flat as possible because folds in the plastic will show on your finished stepping stone.
  6. Lining Molds with Plastic Garbage Bags
     
    Concrete Mix with Lined Mold
     
  7. Mix the concrete in your wheelbarrow or bucket. Use a shovel to stir the water in until it is the right consistency.
  8. Mixing Concrete in Wheelbarrow
     
  9. Scoop or pour the concrete mix into the molds.
  10. Pouring Concrete into Mold with Shovel
     
  11. Lightly shake and tap the mold on the ground to level the concrete. This will also help push the concrete in to all the nooks and crannies of the mold design and reduce bubbles on what will be the top surface of the stepping stone.
  12. Advertisement

  13. Let the concrete set-up for about 24 hours.
  14. Setting Concrete
     
  15. After the concrete is set, flip the mold over and remove it.
  16. Removing Mold from Concrete
     
  17. Now peal back the plastic to reveal your new stepping stone.
  18. Removing Pastic Garbage Bag Liner
     
  19. The concrete will continue to dry out over the next few days, but you can put it in place right away.
    1. Finished Stepping Stone
       
      Close-up of Concrete Stepping Stone
       

      By Jess from Hillsboro, OR

Mold and Concrete Stepping Stone
 
Advertisement

Add your voice! Click below to comment. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!

 
September 3, 20122 found this helpful

Great idea - thanks!

 
Anonymous
September 5, 20230 found this helpful

Fantastic idea now each around $6.00 so woohoo to savings plus cute

 
September 3, 20121 found this helpful

I agree! What a great and "thrifty" idea.

 
Anonymous
May 8, 20161 found this helpful

And red cement for colored

 
August 20, 20180 found this helpful

We made 5 of these this past weekend but 3 already broke. We followed the instructions so I dont know what we did wrong.

 

Silver Post Medal for All Time! 267 Posts
August 21, 20180 found this helpful

I'm so sorry to hear that. I'm not sure what to recommend. My stepping stones are still in one piece 6 years later. Maybe you didn't allow it to dry long enough?

 

Silver Post Medal for All Time! 267 Posts
August 21, 20180 found this helpful

I did a little more research and cracks are usually due to the mixture being too dry. So I would add more water to the mixture if you try to make them again.

Advertisement

Good luck!

 
Anonymous
October 26, 20190 found this helpful

I would pour half the concrete into the mould give it a bump to settle it then put in some wire to reinforce it then the other half of the concrete and jiggle it again to settle and remove air bubbles that's how i make all my different stepping stone always wire them cheers Gloria

 
November 7, 20201 found this helpful

Adding 1/2 to one cup powdered lime to the mix adds hardness to it.

 
April 18, 20230 found this helpful

you need wire rebar in the middle and layer more concrete on top. I make rhubarb stepping stones with the wire rebar.

 

Silver Post Medal for All Time! 267 Posts
April 20, 20230 found this helpful

Rebar is a good idea but they have held up relatively well over the last 10 years. One corner broke but they are mostly intact. I'll try to take a picture when the weather is better.

 
August 9, 20230 found this helpful

Reinforce with chicken wire in the cement and/or thin rods submerged in cement, fill form for good thickness, let sit for couple of days out of sunlight. Seal with waterproof coat.

 
September 11, 20230 found this helpful

Maybe needed a fiberglass fibers and if they came out hairy, burn off the hairy fibers

 
June 11, 20190 found this helpful

What about cutting the bottom out and using just the frame? Wouldn't need the plastic.

 

Silver Post Medal for All Time! 267 Posts
June 12, 20190 found this helpful

You could certainly do that. I like the lattice pattern that comes out on the bricks.

 
July 30, 20200 found this helpful

If they cracked perhaps the ground under them was too uneven so they cracked when stepped on. Just a thought. Havent tried this yet.

 
July 6, 20220 found this helpful

I love this !! Thanks for the idea!

 
Anonymous
February 9, 20230 found this helpful

How much concrete mix did you use for each 10 x 20 flat?

 

Silver Post Medal for All Time! 267 Posts
February 10, 20230 found this helpful

We were able to get two or three per bag, depending on the thickness.

 

Add your voice! Click below to comment. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!

 
In This Page
< Previous
Categories
Home and Garden Gardening LandscapingAugust 27, 2012
Pages
More
🌻
Gardening
🐰
Easter Ideas!
🍀
St. Patrick's Ideas!
Facebook
Pinterest
YouTube
Instagram
Categories
Better LivingBudget & FinanceBusiness and LegalComputersConsumer AdviceCoronavirusCraftsEducationEntertainmentFood and RecipesHealth & BeautyHolidays and PartiesHome and GardenMake Your OwnOrganizingParentingPetsPhotosTravel and RecreationWeddings
Published by ThriftyFun.
Desktop Page | View Mobile
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Contact Us
Generated 2024-02-22 11:12:18 in 3 secs. ⛅️️
© 1997-2024 by Cumuli, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
https://www.thriftyfun.com/Easy-Concrete-Stepping-Stones.html