Join me!

DIY Stepping Stones For Your Garden With Leaf Imprints

DIY stepping stones are the perfect way to add charm and function to your garden. You might be surprised at just how easy it is to make your own stepping stones.

DIY Leaf Print Stepping Stones Made of Concrete

This Weekend Project is a decorative way to preserve the garden by capturing the beauty of leaves all year round as stepping stones. You don’t have to work hard for a whole weekend to do it, though! This is a simple project that is quick and fun to do, but the concrete needs some time to cure after the stones are poured.

These stepping stones are an economical way to make a personalized pathway that protects your garden, or simply add them here and there as a decorative feature.

Why Are Stepping Stones Important In A Garden?

As pretty as they are, let’s not ignore their practical importance: these concrete beauties allow a person to walk through their garden easily without worrying about hurting precious plants. You’ll be less likely to trip and crush a delicate plant if you are careful to walk only on the stepping stones.

Stepping stones are also laid to prevent the soil compaction that results from tromping through the garden beds. Walking directly on wet garden soil can destroy its structure, reducing the plant root’s ability to retrieve water and nutrients.

In short, they are both functional and beautiful. Your garden will look jazzier with a few beautiful stepping stones laid around it.

Unless your garden is all within arm’s length, stepping stones are a functional way to reduce the stress on soil structure, and they are pretty darn, well, pretty!

How To Make Garden Stepping Stones

This tutorial is pretty straightforward and simple. In fact, it’s so easy that you can even encourage your kids or friends to join in too. 

The most challenging part of this whole thing is that you’ll have to be patient. This isn’t exactly instant gratification as the leaves have to sit in the concrete for 24 hours before you can remove them and see your imprint.

Also, keep in mind that mixing up the concrete is a messy job. Yes, kiddos can help out with this craft, but this part should be done by an adult.

Other than that, it’s a really easy craft that looks stunning when it’s done.

Materials

You can find all the supplies you need to make your own stepping stones at your local home improvement shop.

Stepping Stones Directions

Here’s how to make your own leaf imprint craft into stepping stones. I broke it down into simple steps with lots of pictures too.

1. Choose the Perfect Containers

Choose containers that will make a good size for a stepping stone. For round stones, use plastic plant trays. For square or rectangular stones, use plastic food storage containers. The ones I choose had relatively straight sides, resulting in straight-sided stepping stones.

leaf imprint stepping stones project

2. Pick Out Your Leaves

Choose leaves with interesting shapes, strong veins, and defined edges. Shown here (clockwise from top) are Lady’s Mantle, Hosta, and Japanese maple leaves. The maple leaves’ pointed edges held their edges less successfully than the other two (see final photos), which will influence my choice of leaves in the future.

3. Spread Vegetable Oil Inside the Containers

Use the foam brush to spread the vegetable oil around the inside of the container and on the vein side of the leaf. The oil helps the concrete to release from the mold as well as allows the leaf to easily peel off. It seems like a small step but it will save a lot of time in trying to remove the stepping stone and remove the leaf material if it is skipped.

spreading vegetable oil inside containers for DIY stepping stones

4. Mix the Concrete

Mix repair concrete (concrete without large pieces of gravel) as per the instructions on the bag using the wheelbarrow, trowel, and rubber gloves. Pour the concrete into the molds and press the leaves, vein-side down, onto the concrete. Be sure to press each leaf evenly with the flat part of your fingers so that the whole leaf imprints (not just where you touched with your fingertips!).

mixing repair concrete in a wheelbarrow

5. Weigh The Leaves Down With Rocks

Weigh the leaves down with rocks or stones and allow them to sit for 24 hours. Cure as per the instructions on the concrete package and then unmold your stepping stones and place around the garden.

Leaf Print Stepping Stones

6. Wait 24 Hours, Then Remove

I weighed the leaves down with river stones removed them from the molds after 24 hours and, voila!leaf imprint stepping stones project

More DIY Stepping Stone Ideas

I was also lucky enough to have worked with a creative friend that day, which is a good thing because concrete can get heavy! My friend made some stepping stones with leaves and foam letters we bought at the craft store. Isn’t it fun to work with others? You get so many great ideas! Her letter/leaf stepping stones turned out perfectly!

Find other things to imprint in the concrete too. Here are some of my favorite ideas that I haven’t tried yet, but want to.

  • Flowers
  • Handprints
  • Pawprints
  • School mascot

stepping stones with letters and leaves

Other Materials To Make Stepping Stones Out Of

The concrete stepping stones will last a really long time in your garden. I love working with concrete because of the ease, cost, and longevity of my projects. I actually put together an entire post about different ways you can make stepping stones with concrete.

There are also other materials you can use that aren’t as heavy. Here are some more materials you can use to make stepping stones.

Where To Put Garden Stepping Stones

Where you decide to put your DIY stepping stones is entirely up to you. Since their purpose is to protect the soil, you’ll want to put it in the common walkway.

The best place for stepping stones is to create a walking path out of them.

If your stepping stones are entirely decorative, then you can place them around your favorite plants or bushes.

More Creative Garden Projects

Please have a look at all of the creative Weekend Projects, Garden Projects, Craft Projects, and even Recipes to be found on this blog. Perhaps you will find something to work on with your brilliant pals. Some of my favorites include:

leaf print stepping stones in the garden
Print Pin

DIY Stepping Stones with Leaf Imprints

These DIY stepping stones are a quick project that involve just minutes of hands on creating time! You'll love seeing these pretty concrete stepping stones every time you are out in your garden.
Cost $10

Equipment

  • Wheelbarrow or bucket for mixing concrete

Supplies

Instructions

  • Use the foam brush to spread the vegetable oil around the inside of the container and on the vein side of the leaf.
  • Mix repair concrete (concrete without large pieces of gravel) as per the instructions on the bag using the wheelbarrow, trowel, and rubber gloves.
  • Pour the concrete into the molds and press the leaves, vein-side down, onto the concrete.
  • Weigh the leaves down with rocks or stones and allow to set for 24 hours.
  • Cure as per the instructions on the concrete package and then unmold your stepping stones and place around the garden.

Comments

  1. Do you actually take the leaves off the cement or leave them on the cement and they disintegrate? Could I use fake leaves or would they be permanently imbedded?

    Reply
    • Hi Rose, yes you peel the leaves off after the cement has dried. The oil that is applied on the vein-side helps it to release easily.

      Reply
  2. Those maple leaf imprints that don’t look much like leaves do look like a small foot imprint – like the ones you see representing dinosaur footprints. Angled differently of course.

    Reply
  3. Now I want to make these with our children! Thank you for the ideas, and for such clear instructions. ????

    Reply
      • Curious if you leave these out in the weather for winter? I live in Indiana and I’m inquiring because I’d like to use in a walkway design.

        Reply
        • Absolutely. Mine have been out for almost 15 years now and they are all still in perfect condition.

          Reply

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Kickstart

your garden!

This FREE 5-day mini course will help you set up a thriving garden for wellness and joy quickly and easily.

I want the free course!

Join one of my free email courses!

Natural skincare

made easy!

This FREE 5-day mini course will teach you the small changes you can make to your skincare practices that will make a HUGE difference in how you feel.

I want the free course!

Kickstart

your garden!

This FREE 5-day mini course will help you set up a thriving garden for wellness and joy, quickly and easily.

I want the free course!

Learn and Live
with Nature

SHOP BOOKS

Garden Therapy Online Courses

SHOP COURSES