Crafts for Kids: Cement Garden Stones

This is one of my kids' favorite crafts.  It's messy, they get to dump stuff in a big bucket, and they can be as creative as they want to be.

Don't be intimidated by the cement.  It's super easy.

You can buy a pre-packaged kit at AC Moore or Michael's, but personally, I like to just buy the cement (also from AC Moore or Michael's) and then use whatever we have lying around for decoration. The first time we did this I bought some plastic hexagon-shaped molds and letter stamps just for this purpose.  The molds also come in handy for stuff like play doh and moon sand (you know, keeping the mess contained) and the letter stamps can be used for play doh and clay creations, so you really can't go wrong.

I got a little bag of river rocks, plus Cavegirl picked out two bags of colored stones (she calls them "gems,") Plus a couple little rocks that had words like "Love" and "Trust" printed on them.

Caveboy mixing it up

Use a bucket to mix the concrete.  Be careful dumping the dry mix into the bucket because it tends to "cloud". Use exactly the amount of water it calls for.  It says to add more if needed, but I never need to.  If anything, the cement is a little TOO wet, but I usually don't notice that until it's in the mold. I mix and pour one at a time.  I only have one set of letters, so it works out better for that reason, too.



I put the mold on an old cookie sheet that we use just for crafts. Smooth it out with a wooden spoon, then lift the cookie sheet a little and kind of bang it down on the table a couple times.  This will help spread and smooth out the concrete.  If you get water pooling on top, use a paper towel to soak it up and re-bang. If it's too wet, it won't hold a handprint or the letters.

Cavegirl, creating.

If you want a handprint, do that first.  It might not turn out, and then you might have to smooth the cement over and start again. Depending on the age of your kid and the size of your mold, you might only be able to fit in one hand. Make sure it's in deep enough...impressions tend to shrink a little as they dry. If it's barely pressed in, you might not be able to see it at all once the cement has hardened.


Letters next. Arrange and space them the way you want before pressing any in.  Leave them in for a little while, so the impression sets.  If you pull the letter out and a pool of water forms at the bottom, put it back in for a little while.

Let the kids put in their stones, shells, sticks, whatever treasures and trinkets they want. Again, I suggest they "arrange" them all the way they want them, THEN push them all into the cement once they have them the way they want them. It's really tough to pick something out and smooth the cement over without having it look like you picked something out and tried to smooth the cement over. Push the stones and whatnot in so that they are about level with the cement. As the cement dries, they will push up a little, so you want them in deep enough that they won't be hanging out once the stone has hardened.

This one is a tad wet.  The green things at the top are the letter stamps. Don't pull them out until you don't see any water shining on the surface. Otherwise, the cement is too wet to hold the shape of the letters.

I let these puppies dry for at least a day. They will be hard to the touch in a few hours, but just to be safe......Then gently turn it over and pull the mold away.  It will want to stay in...you have to kind of break the suction.  Then stand back and marvel at your beautiful creations, and then find a spot in your garden or flowerbed where you can see these lovelies every day.

Sweet!