Start Your Own Stepping Stones

Are you ready for some gooey good fun? Grab the kids and head outside, because this is definitely an outdoor adventure! Homemade stepping stones make cute garden accessories, but they also create great memories. Kids will love this fun project, but so will adults—after all, who can resist mixing concrete and making a mess?

What You'll Need:

• Plastic stepping stone mold (available online or at craft stores); large, disposable saucer used to catch water under planters; or an old cake pan
• Quick-setting concrete (a 50 lb bag makes 6 to 10 stepping stones, depending on mold size)
• Old bucket
• Paint stirrer
• Nonstick cooking spray
• Rubber gloves
• Newspaper or drop cloth
• Decorations, like stones, glass beads, letter tiles, mosaic pieces—use your imagination!

How to Make DIY Stepping Stones:

1.This can be a messy project, so head outside on a sunny day. Everyone should dress in old clothes and use rubber gloves.

2.Lay newspapers or a drop cloth over the floor of your work space to protect it.

3.Fill your mold with the dry concrete mix to measure how much you need.

4.Pour the mix from the mold into a bucket.

5.Spray the mold with cooking spray to keep the stepping stone from sticking to it while drying.

6.Mix water into the concrete mix slowly until it looks like thick cake batter. (Be sure to read the directions on the bag.)

7.Pour the concrete mix into the mold, spreading the mix so it's smooth and bubble-free.

8.Time to decorate! Use your imagination. Make a handprint, write your name in pebbles, embellish with stones in a flower design, add glass beads or letter tiles—whatever you like.

9.Dry the stepping stone in the mold overnight.

10.The next day, pop the stepping stone out of the mold, then let it cure for 5 to 7 days before walking on it.

11.Once it's completely cured, place the stepping stone in the garden. If your whole family made stepping stones, space them out to make a pretty path design!

Collect enough molds for each person to have one and do it as a family project to create a personalized path through the garden. Plus, DIY stepping stones make great gifts for grandparents, so consider making a few extras.