Do It Yourself Garden Decorations

Stepping Stones

• You can make your own beautiful garden stepping stones simply and inexpensively. You will need to decide if you want round, square or a specially shaped stone, and then find or make a mold for it. Molds can be simple things like old cake pans and pizza boxes, or you can make them out of wood. If you use anything made of aluminum, like a cake pan, you can either cover the surface in a thick coating of nonstick cooking spray or sand. Either one should allow the stone to come out with ease. Start out by finding a flat surface to work from, where you can leave the stone for a day or two without moving it. Mix cement according to the directions on the bag, as the directions will be different, depending on the type you buy. Scoop the cement into the mold until it is half full, and add a piece of screen, like you would use for a window. This makes the stone a little stronger and holds it together well. Then fill up the rest of the mold with cement. Tap the mold on all the sides to settle the cement in and avoid any air pockets. Next, just let the filled mold sit for about an hour.

  After the cement has had time to set up, you can decorate it to make your stone. You can use all kinds of embellishments, such as broken pieces of tiles or terracotta, marbles, craft jewels or paint. You may have something around your house that has a design etched in it or carved on it that can be pressed onto the surface of the stone to transfer it. Another idea is to use stencils or write a saying on the stone freehand. You can create a flower or watering-can scene on the stone with the tiles. Rocks, stones, mosaic tiles and shells are often used too. If you can imagine it, you can put it on a stepping stone.

  After the stone is decorated, let it dry for a day without moving it. And then don't remove it from the mold for another two days. After that time, you can take the stone out of the mold and place it in the garden. The stone should not be walked on for at least another two weeks, though. When you install the stone, place it in the ground far enough that it won't stick up and trip anyone, and get it as level as possible. This will keep it from cracking or breaking.

Other Decoration Ideas

• Wind chimes not only look nice in a garden but present it with another dimension. The sound of the breeze going through your garden can be mesmerizing. Use some tall plant hanging posts, and hang a wind chime on each side. You can even make your own wind chimes if you choose, by hanging very small terracotta pots on strings at different levels and then connecting them to a single main string. Or you can use dried bamboo shoots cut at various lengths. Drill small holes in two opposite places at the top, and run string into each side. Connect the strings from the shoots to a main string and hang.

  Use an old wheelbarrow that isn't functional anymore for a do-it-yourself garden decoration. Fill it with potted plants, or tilt it on end and plant a flowering plant directly in front of it. The wheelbarrow can provide shade for plants that can't take full sun. Shells, large stones and even old watering cans become DIY decorations in the garden. Be bold, and give your ideas a try.