precious garden harvest: happy memories. Each family member gets to decorate his or her own stone, inserting personal (nonperishable) mementos: seashells, pet rocks, small toys, impressions of a favorite leaf, free-form tiles made from a broken flowerpot--if you can step on it, you can preserve it.
If you've never worked with concrete before, don't be daunted. Mixing mortar, in fact, is a lot like preparing cookie dough. One safety note: concrete contains portland cement, a potentially caustic substance, so the job of mixing the stuff is strictly for grown-ups. After making handprints, be sure to wash with soap and water.
MAKING THE MOLDS
For round stepping-stones, use a handsaw to cut a 2 1/2-inch-wide section from the building form. In the area where you'll be setting the path, dig a hole just large enough to accommodate the form and set it into the ground, firming the soil around it. Alternatively, you can create a free-form stone by simply digging a hole in the shape you desire, roughly 2 1/2 inches deep. Once the mold is complete, place a 1-inch layer of pebbles, small stones or gravel in the bottom.
MIXING THE CONCRETE
Following the directions on the bag, combine the concrete with water in a mixing tub, stirring it with a hoe. It's ready to pour when it doesn't fall off a hoe held nearly parallel to the ground. Use the hoe and a trowel, if necessary, to scoop the concrete into each form. Smooth the surface with a scrap of wood.
ADDING MEMENTOS
When your fingertip leaves a lasting impression in the mixture (usually after one to two
hours), you can start customizing. Using a stick or pebbles, write your name and the date, make impressions (of your hand, a favorite toy, a prize begonia) and add your mementos. Let the stones cure for several days. If your winters are severe, cover the stones with a cloth and mist them with water several times a day for three or four days to keep them from cracking. Remove the cardboard forms with a craft knife.
