to MAKE the stepping stones

spread drop cloth on work space

pick the mold you will use

determine what you want on the top

THIS METHOD is similar to a PineApple UpSide Down Cake
the design is put into the mold before the mortar
when it dries, theoretically, it's done except for clean up

since i will be using the 3-D mold & i do NOT want the uneven top
i will place a thin layer of pebbles in first to level out

the top of the mold
THEN, i will cut a piece of paper to fit inside the mold
THEN i will pour the shells, pebbles into the mold

I will then, mix the mortar & pour it into the mold

after it sets up - i will pop the stone out of the mold

SHOULD get the effect i want

when i used the 3D mold before - the unevenness of the top

caused the pebbles & stones to not stick well

FOR the solid mold
i will plan a design using different types of craft things
glass, tile, gems, acrylic pieces & brass
FIRST PREPARE THE MOLD
put a thin layer of vaseline on the sides of

the mold {similar to greasing a cake pan}

cut a piece of paper to fit inside the mold

then cut a piece of clear contact paper to fit
over the paper & inside the mold
peel off the back so the adhesive is exposed
SECOND PREPARE THE DESIGN
place the stones & things onto the exposed
adhesive {this helps keep the design intact when you
pour the mortar into the mold}
THIRD PREPARE THE MORTAR
using the scissors, cut the top of the bag of mortar off & pour

the powder into the bucket
add the water & mix with a wooden spoon till the consistency of
a thick cake batter
FOURTH PUTTING THE MORTAR INTO THE MOLD
using the spoon to place mortar over the design - then pour

the remaining mortar into the mold
get the spoon wet & smooth the top of the mortar till

it is smooth

LET IT SIT FOR 8 HOURS

UNMOLDING

take a 2 gal zipper bag - place the mold with the mortar

into the bag { this will catch loose pebbles or anything

that did not get attached to the mortar}
start popping the mold on the sides which forces the

stone to pop out - careful not to DROP the stone

whatever did not stick to the top of the stone

will be inside the bag, easier to re-use & clean up
CLEAN UP THE STONE
using a tooth brush OR fingernail brush - brush the bottom & sides of the stone

to loosen any mortar over the drop cloth
turn the stone over & if you have loose items on the top of the

stone, you can brush them off into the zipper bag
IF you used something that embedded into the top of the stone

you can brush excess mortar off the design with

a toothbrush or nail brush

if it becomes necessary, use the metal pick from a nutcracker OR a

orangewood manicure stick to remove stubborn mortar

after it is all done, you can use a damp sponge OR paper towel

to the top to remove dust residue

LET THE STONE SIT TOP SIDE UP FOR A FEW DAYS

CLEAN UP THE WORK AREA
if you used a shower curtain, after you put things away
you will have topper in a plastic bag to be used later
take the mortar bucket, wooden spoon & anything that needs

to be cleaned off & fold them inside the shower curtain

take the shower curtain outside & use a hose to clean up

DO NOT USE A SINK!
you can dump the residual mortar, dust & toppings into

a trash receptacle OR the garden