How to Shape Cut Rocks

When you purchase cut landscaping rocks, they still might not be the exact shape that you need to complete your rock garden. A display of rocks can improve the appearance of your landscaping, but they'll look even better if the rocks look as though their formation could have occurred naturally. This is accomplished by reshaping the cut rocks to fit them snugly amongst each other. Using a little cement will help make the shape you come up with for your rocks more permanent and long lasting.

Chisel
Hammer
Cement
Trowel

Instructions

- 1
  Set the base rocks in place within your landscaping. These rocks will likely be larger than the smaller ones that will go on top.
- 2
  Use a chisel and hammer to remove corners and edges that prevent the rocks from sitting close to one another. This reshaping gives a rocks a more uniform appearance, as if they had settled within your landscaping as they do in nature.
- 3
  Lift each rock carefully and, with a trowel, add about an inch of cement between them. Set the rocks back in place. Scrape away any cement that seeps out.
- 4
  Start piling on the smaller rocks. Use varying sizes, shapes and colors to make the rock formation look more natural.
- 5
  Continue chiseling chunks from the smaller rocks so that they fit nicely within the curves and grooves of the larger rocks and each other. Once you get a placement you like, add cement between the smaller rocks, as well, so that your new formation will stay in place.

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