Project Stepping Stones for David

So the BIG project took awhile (the pool/deck) and finishing touches are still being put on it. However, there are many smaller projects that seem to have kicked into high gear. One of the those which we worked on last Saturday was the Stepping Stones for David project. This project too is a work in progress and will be drawn out for some time to come, but we got a good start on it.

I have said before that this backyard is going to be all about David and because of that we want all those who love David and have helped make this whole BIG project a reality for him, to be a part of our stone making project. I decided a few weeks back that no backyard with a pool is complete without stepping stones. They are an easy and fun way to make your backyard, well.....yours. Then I came up with the idea of having people who wanted to, to make their own stepping stone for David, so I had a Stepping Stones for David party last Saturday to get it started. Several were in attendance and many others are either making their own at home and bringing them to us or setting up times when two or three at a time can come over and we can make more.

The process itself is very easy. We used Quickrete which we mixed in a big bucket. It is approximately 5 parts Quickrete to 1 part water. Mix thoroughly until you have the consistency of thick brownie batter. We found the best way to mix was with our hands BUT please wear rubber gloves to do this as you don't want the cement mixture to get under your nails and it is very drying to your hands.

Once the cement is mixed then spray your mold(we used foil pie tins and foil 8 x 10 pans) with either WD40 or kitchen pan spray such as PAM. Then fill your mold with the cement. You want at least 2 inches in the pan to make it a firm stone. If you are doing a foot or hand print....then do the print immediately. If you are just decorating the stone, then wait about 10-15 minutes to let the mixture set up a bit. After the 10-15 minutes, then start decorating away!

Things we chose to decorate with were colored broken glass, toys, blocks, beads, tiles and some scrap booking odds and ends. One person even used nails and screws off our old dilapidated deck. There is really no wrong way to decorate. Make sure though that you get the items that are bigger, firmly pushed into the cement and push it as deep as you can. You have a good 5-10 minute window to decorate.

Once the stone is decorated, then set aside in a warm, dry place and leave for 48 hours. After 48 hours remove from the molds. Having sprayed the molds ahead of time....they simply slip out. Now leave them for another 48 hours to cure before using them.

The ones we made are more decorative than serviceable and they will serve as decoration around the pool

along with the others that will be made. We are also making more usable ones that we will paint in glow in the dark paint. These will lead from the patio to the pool and after soaking up sun all day, they will glow brilliantly in the dark.

The project was fun, quick and very easy. The hardest part was getting my hands in the cement. David supervised and loved every second of it all. And in case you are wondering, we definitely have room for more stones, so if you want to be a part of the Stepping Stones for David Project , just let me know and we can set up a time for you to come play in the cement with us.

So there you have it. Another open ended project underway. Stay tuned, because trust me.....there will be more!!!!!!