Making Made from Scratch Concrete Stepping Stones

1
Making Made from Scratch Concrete Stepping Stones
Created by Joan Jackson, Tiffany Prather and Dr.
Frank Flanders Agriculture Education Curriculum
Office 2003
2
Tools and Materials needed to create your
concrete stepping stone
17
11
1
10
12
2
6
7
13
5
3
16
4
8
15
9
14
3

• nails
• measuring cup
• tesserae tiles, buttons, etc
• hammer
• pencil, marker
• box cutter
• putty knife

1. paper
2. scissors
3. liquid concrete color
4. mixing bucket
5. plastic bag
6. garden spade
7. wooden board
8. latex gloves
9. face mask
10. cardboard

4
Components of Concrete
1
2
3
4
5

• Mortar mix 4. Medium grain Sand
• Concrete mix 5. All purpose Gravel
• 3. Portland Cement

5
Made-From-Scratch-Mold
Step 2 Find a design template and trace on paper
and then cut it out.
Step 1 Cut strips of cardboard about 2 inches
thick. These will serve as the sides of the mold.
6
Made-From-Scratch-Mold (cont)
Step 3 Place plastic over a piece of plywood and
then lay your design template on it.
Step 4 Begin nailing in nails slightly around
design.
7
Made From Scratch Mold (cont.)
Step 5 Begin placing the cardboard strips around
the inside of the nails.
The completed mold after all nails have been
nailed in.
8
Made From Scratch Mold (cont.)
Step 6 Finally place nails in the holes of the
cardboard and slightly nail them in. Click here
for details.
Finished Mold!
9
Made From Scratch Mold (cont.)
Fill the mold with prepared concrete. (We
prepared our own concrete mixture, but you can
use ready-to-use concrete.) Red concrete
coloring was also added.
10
Made From Scratch Mold (cont.)
Be sure to remove any air bubbles by shaking the
mold or hammering around the edges of the mold.
Next, smooth the concrete using a putty knife and
apply tesserae of your choice.
11
Made From Scratch Mold (cont.)
Let the mold stand for 48 hours to dry before you
begin taking the nails out.
12
Made From Scratch Mold (cont.)
Using a hammer to smooth sharp surfaces.
After all nails have been removed, the cardboard
can now be removed. Be sure to smooth rough or
sharp surfaces to ensure safety during use.
13
The End
Finally...the finished product! A concrete
stepping stone that can be used for decoration or
making a walk way.
14
Return