Craft Basket Wednesday

Today, we hosted a farm field trip four our homeschool group, FMCHE.  To give each child a momento to remember the trip to the farm, each made a simple garden stepping stone. Our kids have made the bigger stones … Mother’s Day gifts for the grandmas and I have one for each child in my gardens … except for Graham  & Louis. 

I found the idea for the mini stepping stones in a craft magazine a while ago, but hadn’t had a chance to try it out.  So, on Monday, I decided to check the mix and measurements to make sure I had enough supplies on hand.  I THOUGHT the mix would stay liquid enough in a sealed container.  Good thing I checked it when I arrived home from dance Monday night because it DID NOT stay liquid enough!  So, after adding a lot of water and wrestling with the mix in my bucket, it would eventually pour again and I was able to make two 9 inch stones.

This stone is for Louis (Leo).  It’s flowery, but it was late and my creativity was limited!  I’ll make one with Graham later this week.

 

The second stone is flowery, too.  I like it.

 

The little mini stone is my sample/test.  It’s my first initial.  I just wanted to make sure the stone would come out easily (it does, thank goodness!).

To make the mini, it takes a cup of the stepping stone mix in a styrofoam bowl – I would have used foil pans, but I couldn’t find them as readily on my trip to Fargo and ran out of time to stop at different stores.  I purchased all the stones/glass beads and shapes at the dollar store.  It was a great ‘find.’  I did purchase the stepping stone mix at the craft store, but I believe each 10lb. box will yield at least 12 mini-stepping stones.

The mini-stepping stone was poured and decorated at about 2pm; it was quite set when I returned home from dance at 8pm.  However, the stones should be left untouched for at least 48 hours.  I’d recommend longer just to be sure.  The first time we made the stones, I left them sitting for about a week.  It would be horrible to have one crack after all the creativity used to create the patterns. 

After the stones have cured, an old brush can be used to ‘scrub’ the cement off the stones and clean up the surface.  For variation, colored powders (blue, green, terra cotta) are sold at the craft stores.  I kept the craft simple and easy for the large group; however, I may try that with my kids later.  I’ve also seen wire added to the stone – twisted round so that it holds a seed envelope.  The mini-stones could also be used to mark herbs or flowers in your garden bed.  Letter and number stamps can be used to write names and dates, too. 

 

For more Craft Basket Wednesday posts, check out Amy Caroline’s blog today!