How to Create Patio Stone

Add a whimsical charm to your outdoor patio area by laying down patio stones that are a bit off the beaten track. Instead of spending money on expensive garden stones to decorate your patio, make them yourself. You can create a patio stone from a simple mold and a bag of concrete. You can create several stones from the same mold, decorating each patio stone differently from the first. If you prefer, you can create a more traditional look by making all of the patio stones the same or following a theme.

Form mold
Cement
Old bucket, oversized bowl or wheelbarrow
Garden hose
Embellishments

Instructions

- 1
  Choose a form mold for the patio stone. You can use a round cake pan, an old frying pan or a prefabricated patio stone form purchased from a craft store or garden center.
- 2
  Mix up cement in an old bucket, oversized bowl or wheelbarrow. Mix the cement according to packaging instructions. A quick-dry cement works best and only involves mixing the cement with water from a garden hose.
- 3
  Pour the cement into the form. Allow the cement to set for a half hour or so and decorate the patio stone before it completely hardens.
- 4
  Embellish the patio stone with glass stones, pebbles, marbles or even gems. Handprints and leaf prints also add a nice touch. Simply press your hands--or your child's little hands--or fresh leaves quickly into the cement, before it dries.
- 5
  Allow the cement to set for the recommended amount of time on the package labeling. Most quick-dry cement hardens within a few hours. However, the cement requires at least 24 to 48 hours to completely cure.
- 6
  Remove the patio stone from the cement form after the 24-to-48 hour waiting period. Simply, turn the form over and carefully pop the patio stone out. Repeat the process in order to create additional patio stones.

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