How to Prevent Cracking When Making Stepping Stones

Mix up a batch of concrete by mixing water and dry concrete mix. Pour the dry concrete mix into a wheelbarrow and add water, while you stir with a garden spade to produce a mixture with the same consistency as brownie batter.

Prepare your stepping stone molds by applying vegetable oil to the inside of the mold. The molds should create stones that are at least 2 inches thick to prevent them from cracking under the weight of normal walking traffic. The vegetable oil will prevent the concrete from sticking to the mold and will ease the process of removing the finished stones from the molds.

Scoop the mixed concrete out of the wheelbarrow with your trowel and dump it into the stepping stone molds. Continue to scoop the concrete out and fill the molds until you have completely filled the mold.

Hold the sides of the stepping stone molds and lift the mold 1 inch up from the flat surface you have the mold sitting on. Drop the full molds from this 1-inch height over and over repeatedly for approximately one minute to encourage the air bubbles in the mold to rise to the top; this will help to prevent cracking caused by bubbles that remain in the stones once the concrete has hardened.

Apply extra concrete on top of the mold if necessary to re-fill the mold after you have tapped the air out of the concrete. Repeat the tapping process for a few seconds before you set the filled molds on a flat, level surface to dry.