MEMORY KEEPING COLLAGE STEPPING STONE

 MEMORY KEEPING COLLAGE STEPPING STONE

 Here’s a fun activity for mixed ages that will help to preserve memories of any significant event. In this case, a recent trip to the beach.  A pretty much-given activity when you are visiting a beach is to walk along the shore collecting shells, bits of coral, sea glass- anything of interest.   On my recent visit, I made a point to search and discover something I could add to my stash each day.  

By the time I headed home, I had a pretty good collection of stuff including leftover coins and beer caps from the local beers I had the pleasure of sampling.  Anything permanent and “outdoorable” should work.  

PHOTO 1

 

What You Need

-Cool stuff you’ve gathered to feature in our stepping stone  

-Two 2-inch thick slabs of foam sheeting.  You can buy this in the form of foam insulation at the home improvement store but it is much less expensive to recycle blocks of shipping foam you may have received when opening a package.

-Sheets of newspaper, a Sharpie, and a pair of scissors

-Keyhole saw

-3-inch nails

-brush and vegetable oil

-plastic bowl for mixing concrete

-bag of sand topping concrete mix

-mixing trowel

-mud gloves and a plastic-covered work surface

 

What You Do

1.  Design a simple shape for your stone using the Sharpie and sheets of newspaper.  Remember that your designs need s to be smaller than your sheets of foam.

 

2.  Keep your shape simple with no thin portions that stick out.  These will break off in no time.  Cut out the shape with scissors.  It will serve as your pattern and the base to plan your design. 

 

3. Trace the pattern in the center of one of the sheets of foam with the Sharpie and cut out carefully.  Try to cut the shape out of the foam in one piece,  Remember, it is the negative or outside portion that will become your mold, not the shape itself. 

4.  Cut the outside shape into two pieces.  This makes it much easier to remove the casting after the concrete has hardened.

 

5.  Use the nails to stick the mold sections onto the second piece of foam, which will become the base of the mold. Use them as if they were giant pins.

Then use the brush to coat the bottom and sides of the mold with vegetable oil.

 

6. Lay out your found objects on top of the pattern piece. This will guide you when it comes time to insert them into the wet concrete.  You do not have a great deal of working time before the concrete begins to set.  Having a layout plan ahead of time will ensure you get it all safely inserted before this happens.

7.  Scoop about 1/3 of a bag of Sand Topping Mix into a plastic mixing bowl.  Add water and mix to a thick, smooth paste using the trowel.  Stir at least 25 times to ensure it is smooth and homogenous. Pour immediately into the mold up to ¼” from the top edge.  Lift an edge of the mold and gently tap several times to remove air bubbles.  The top surface should be completely smooth.

 

8.  Gently insert your objects according to your layout plan, pushing them into the concrete.  Remember, you will be walking on this stone, so make sure nothing is sticking up too far to cause you to trip!  If something decides to sink, no worries; fish it out, wash it off, and try again. 

 

9.  Allow your completed design to set and harden overnight.

10.  The next day, carefully remove the nails to preserve the mold.  You can use it several times if you wish. Gently wiggle and remove the two side sections of the mold.  Invert on your work surface and left off the base piece of foam.  Smooth edges with gloved hands and clean off your objects with a toothbrush.

 

11.  Let the stone cure for a couple days and it will be ready to place in your garden.