How to Make Easy, Decorative Paving Stones

Feb 24, 2011
Megan Udy

Paving stones make great garden art - M. Udy

These easy-to-make paving stones are a fun way to brighten up a garden path, or add some art to your garden.

Looking for a way to create original garden art? Homemade paving stones are a fun and creative way to brighten up your garden, or make a unique garden path. These paving stones are simple to make, won’t break the bank, and make a fun project for children.

Materials You Will Need

A mould (containers such as pot plant bases and ice cream containers work well)
Ready-mix concrete (for best results, avoid fast-setting mixes)
Decorative materials such as tiles, marbles, leaves, sticks, and shells

Instructions: How to Make a Paving Stone

Prepare the concrete and pour into the mould. To work successfully, the concrete needs to be a depth of about two and a half to three centimetres (about one inch). If the concrete is thinner it becomes weaker, and is therefore more likely to snap or break.

Allow the concrete to settle for a few minutes. Before the concrete sets, push the decorative items into the top surface of the concrete.

Follow some of the decorating tips below to get the best results.

Decorative Tiles

Tiles can be used to decorate the paving stone as a mosaic. To break tiles into smaller pieces, wrap the tiles in an old towel before smashing with a hammer. This helps contain the pieces, and also prevents injuries from flying tile shards.

Other items such as broken mirrors or old china tea sets can also be used to create a mosaic. For a professional finish, apply a grout once the concrete has set.

Fossilised Paving Stones

Paving stones with fossilised leaf prints make an effective edition to any garden path. To achieve this design, press a leaf into the un-set concrete surface for a few moments, removing it before the concrete dries. The fossilised imprint will remain in the concrete.

This design method also works with flowers and shells.

Recycling Old Household Items

Any old household items can be recycled into decorating materials. Be creative with your designs. Use letters out of old scrabble games, mismatched cutlery, odd shoelaces – anything that will make your paving stones unique.

Feet and Hand Prints

Feet and hand print paving stones are a fun project to involve your children in. It can also be an interesting way to record your child’s growth by making a new hand print stone each year.