Have you ever walked up to somebody’s house and been pleasantly surprised to be greeted by beautiful decorative stepping stones? There’s no doubt that the presence of these stones made you feel as if the home you were approaching was warm and welcoming.
You can give the same impression to your guests by adding some decorative stepping stones to your front or back yard. Or, maybe you are looking to make some special stones to give them away as gifts, or even sell them. No matter your goals, we’re sure that you will be able to find some tremendous decorative stone ideas in this article—we’ve already scoured the internet for the best of the best ideas for you, after all.
Before you begin, it’s important to note the kinds of materials you will need to use to complete a stepping stone craft. It’s a bit different than your average DIY project, so you might have to first make a trip to the hardware or arts and crafts store to make sure that you have all of the required supplies that you’ll need, which includes:
- Tile adhesive (also called tile mastic)
- Grout (if applicable)
- Contact paper (depending on the pattern that you’re following)
- Glass pieces or stones (if you’re making a mosaic)
- Glass cutters (if applicable)
- Pre-made concrete stepping stones, if you’re not making your own (you can get these at any hardware store like Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc.)
Gemstone Stepping Stone
This particular stepping stone DIY project will require you to pour your concrete for the stepping stone, but the result makes it well worth it. Since you are making the stepping stone from scratch, you have the opportunity to insert decorative materials directly into the stone, unlike many of the other ideas on here, which take place on top of the stepping stone. The result is a beautiful and cohesive art piece. Those colorful gemstones that you can buy at the dollar store are the perfect materials to add to any stepping stone that you make from scratch.
Purple Stepping Stone
This stepping stone uses gemstones as well, but the real standout characteristic of this one is the choice of beautiful purple hues. Of course, if you’re a big fan of purple, you could make a similar design—but really, the choice of color is up to you. The key is to focus on gathering as many different shades of that particular color as you can.
Dragonfly Stones
What could be better than a stepping stone? How about a design made out of rocks on top of a stepping stone? You can purchase many variations of the stone dragonfly stepping stone, but it’s also possible to make your own. You will just need a blank stepping stone and a variety of small rocks (you can even use the rocks you already have in your garden). Just make sure that you are using strong glue to keep hold of the rocks, such as professional tile adhesive.
Turtle
If you are having a hard time creating your decorative stepping stone from scratch, then you might like the idea of purchasing a “ready to paint” stepping stone kit. This is also an excellent idea for kids or teenagers who are looking for a craft idea. This particular kit from A Dodson’s comes with a wide variety of paint colors, so you do not have to stick to one specific pattern while painting your turtle. The result will be unique for every person.
Glowing Sun
What could represent happiness more than the sun? If you want to spread happiness and cheer all around your garden, the best way is through a sun-themed stepping stone. This example from Pier 1 Imports also features a quote, but you could always make your own that would either be quote-less or feature your favorite quote instead. You could even make your own set of stepping stones representing the seasons, with the sun for summer, raindrop for spring, a snowflake for winter, and leaf for autumn!
Leaf Pattern
Speaking of leaf, here is a beautiful example of how you could make a leaf-themed stepping stone! We love the clever idea to use the imprint of an actual leaf to make a leaf-themed stepping stone. After all, what could be better at imitating a leaf than a leaf itself? So get the lowdown over here.
Classic Mosaics
One of the most popular kinds of garden stepping stones features a mosaic pattern. A mosaic is a type of pattern made by the arrangement of multicolored pieces of glass, tile, or stone. There are many lovely ideas for mosaics out there, but the most important thing about creating a mosaic is that it can be unique to you and the materials that you have at hand. Heads up, though: this isn’t the safest idea for kids, as the glass materials can get pretty sharp. It’s best done with an adult nearby.
Kid’s Footprint
You knew that there would be at least one footprint stepping stone on here, didn’t you? If you are looking to use a stepping stone as a way to preserve your child’s hand or footprint, we think that this tutorial from Making Things Is Awesome breaks it down pretty well. You can even save it and gift it to your child when they buy their first home as a reminder of how small they used to be!
Life’s a Beach
If you live close to the beach, you’re going to want to have a beach-themed stepping stone. Or hey, we guess the same thing applies to anyone who lives far, far away from the coast and is dreaming of a time spent by the seashore. No matter where you’re located, you can bring a touch of coastal charm to your yard area with this special punny beach-themed stepping stone.
DIY Sea Glass
Have you ever been to a beach and collected sea glass? You know, the old soda and beer bottle scraps that the power of the water has softened. In a way, this is upcycling in the best way—taking a piece of garbage and turning it into something beautiful (nature has a way!) Now you finally have a use for all of that collected sea glass because you can use it to make a beautiful DIY stepping stone, as seen here.
Sea-Inspired
Now is your chance to decorate your backyard or front yard to look like one of the Greek islands! Even if you have never been to Mykonos or Santorini, you can still appreciate the deep blue hues associated with the islands. We love how these stepping stones give the vibe of a beautiful southern European vista regardless of where your outdoor space is located.
Hopscotch
If having things around for pure decoration isn’t your thing, you might be interested in these “hopscotch” stepping stones. Hopscotch is a children’s game that consists of hopping in a particular pattern over a hopscotch course for the unfamiliar. These stepping stones are numbered and set the scene for an awesome hopscotch game.
Whimiscal Paintings
Not every stepping stone has to be a mosaic or made from jewels. With a little bit of paint and a whole lot of creativity, you can paint regular-looking stones in a way that is sure to brighten up your garden. We love how this example used citrus fruit as well as watermelon—a colorful approach indeed.
Butterfly
Butterflies are some of the most common outdoor decorations, but it is less common to find butterfly-inspired designs in stepping stones. You can see an example of a beautiful butterfly stepping stone here.
Paw Prints
Calling all animal lovers! If you want to show the world how much you love dogs or cats, then you might want to find or make some stepping stones that look like this. Depending on your interpretation, this can either be an homage to our furry friends or evidence that a huge mythical monster stopped by and worked in the garden, leaving behind footprints!
It doesn’t take much to turn your outdoor space into an oasis, but you’re not alone if you don’t know where to begin. For many people, decorative stepping stones are a great—wait for it—stepping stone to achieving a beautiful backyard area. We hope that you can find some inspiration in the options that we included on this list!