I don't have advice on this one... but I too would like to hear the answer.

I painted some "rocks" last year with names of flowers & such and put them by my plants around pond/rock garden. I used paint markers to write with which are oil based.

Now I am making whimsical concrete rock faces...and am using mostly "patio" paint which is paints for outdoors...and I think any outdoor paint would work. They haven't sat out all winter yet ...so we shall see. There are clear outdoor sealers also which I use over acrylic paints.

Good luck and have fun! Jeanne S.

{{gwi:139824}}

i painted cement blocks with just regular outdoor paint..that was 2 years ago and they still look nice..good luck with ur project..let us know how they turn out!
kathy

Ok thanx you guys!!!

Regular outdoor house paint is what the lady I buy molds from recommended. She doesn't even seal it she said.
At Michaels, I found little letters that you "stamp" into cement for whatever you want to say.
I've also found, if I print out a font I like online, then I can do a better of job of copying it and not just totally freehanding words.

Hope this helps and good luck. Hope to see your project soon.
hugs, Karen

Thanx Karen! I'm working on getting all the plants transplanted in the bed right now before it gets wayyyyyyy toooooo hot to be doing that! lol It's almost there now! was out there this evening and had sweat pouring off my face like it was raining. When I get that hot it zaps me totally.
Anyway my plans are to get pix of it all when I get done. Hopefully I will remember to post some pix. In the meantime here is the link to what I am doing now in progress.
I am going to put the stepping stones along the wall of the house from the carport so it wont split up my bed putting it the other way. This way I can hide the hose hanging on the wall as well as the faucet with all the kape jasmines I am going to transplant into the bed.

Here is a link that might be useful: Yard work in progress

stencils might work - the foam stamps that you can get at michaels or walmart would do also.

I enjoyed your album, GP. Especially the wonderful pond area. Its great. Keep taking those photos!!

hugs, Karen

GP!!! I've been reading on the pond forums and am obsessing about a pond! I love yours!!! I saw some stepping stones with the lettering pushed in and love it, I will be going to Micheles and buying them, they are about $25 here. I've used concrete paint on my stepping stones and it is chipping off! But my statues, I painted with patio paint and they are perfect(over a year now), but they don't get walked on.

I have printed out a saying on the computer printer then traced it using carbon paper...the old kind you can buy at Office Dept. etc. It works for most things although I have not tried it on cement stepping stones. I use black carbon paper because its darker and I can see it better. But the stencil would work too. I use acrylic paints. Be sure to take pictures(-:

I used my coupon from Michaels a couple years ago and bought the stepping stone kit that came with the stamp alphabet and stained glass. Those letters in the kit are so cute! I keep a bowl of water nearby when we stamp names in a stepping stone. But I have also seen a lady who had a lot of stepping stones with her grandchildrens names on it, and she had used the white and black alphabet beads to put their names on it. The alphabet beads also come in different colors now. And I made my sisters grandchildren stepping stones with round disposable aluminum cake pans,they came out great,nice ruffled edges.

kudzu, I had to buy the little stepping stone kit too, as I wanted the stamp alphabet. But with the coupon for 40% off, it was really cheap. And I'd use the other stuff in the kit too, its just for one little stepping stone so no waste at all.

I've had trouble with Patio Paint chipping off some yard things, after a year. So I'd rather use house paint now, and its cheaper if you get it from the OOOPs bin. You can always combine colors and make up your own.

hugs, Karen

This might not be what you're asking for,
but I did this 6-7 years ago
when we put in our first square stone patio.
It's still there today.
I just used regular craft paint with a pointed tip
and wrote out the words to
"A Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong.
I also wrote "We'll Sing in the Sunshine" under my trellis last summer.
................cheryl

Here is a link that might be useful: L. Armstrong

For writing, look for a paint marker that contains "xylene". It is recommended for writing on plant markers.

Oh wow, thanx you guys!!! I'll have to check out that kit at Michaels!!! Do they send you the 40% off coupon by email?
Thanx again!!!
Rose

Cheryl, may I use a couple of your photos in the Inspiration Album?

GP, I get the coupon in the Sunday paper sections with all the ads. Every week or every other week usually. You might be able to download one off their web site tho, never checked there myself.

hugs, Karen

I have well over 100 cement stepping stones. I used plastic party trays, jello molds, ice cream buckets cut down, and loaf pans,as molds. I have painted them all. I went to our recycling center were they give away paint discarded by others. I always pick laytex, usually out door. It has been at least five years since I painted any and they are all still fine. The paint has not peeled or flaked off. I did not put any poly over the paint. Mine are outside 12 months of the year here in MN. As far as sayings go, at first I collected alphabet letters, the kid's magnetic kind, and imbedded them in my stones. After a few mixed results, and running out of letters, I got some alphabet punches made for just this application and used them to imprint my messages. Have fun! I enjoyed the project and am still loving my stepping stones.

Hey Arcy, great testimonial to the powers of the outdoor housepaint and also all the things that can be molds. Do you have photos to share of any of your stones with us?

hugs, Karen

So glad I have found this group- I recycle stuff and try to look out beyond the box for ideas to decorate my home and garden cheaply ..love the ideas you have given me already can not wait to do them ...I am making a couple of stepping stone one as a pet memorial and one as a reminder near my stone pile -boy theres a story behind that- I am planning to make a bowling ball gazing stone and a mosaic box that I am putting on a broken nice looking wicker chair -hoping my birds will use it as a bird bath ....thanks for your ideas ...my garden pics is below-most plants have been shared and the cement benches were very cheap - came from a cement shop that sells seconds and 2 pieces that you park your car in front of standing up with a flat cemnent slab on top -my cost under $5

Here is a link that might be useful: my

windsong, link says your album is private ;o(
I really want to see your things. I'm glad you found us too. Since you mentioned also decorating your home cheaply, you might want to check out the Holidays forum that some of us here are on. We have a great time over there, and when no holidays, we still play with dish stuff and table decor. Most things found at thrift shops or Dollar stores or yard sales. I made an Inspirattion Album for that forum too, so lots of neat stuff to look thru. I think, LOL. You can get to it thru our GJ Album, just by clicking on the main page (sangaree_KS) and finding it in the list that comes up on the left side. Meanwhile, here's the link to the Holiday Forum.

Here is a link that might be useful: Holidays 'n more

arcy, the alphabet punch- can you clarify for me? are you talking about paper punches and then sealing it over the top? i am an avid scrapbooker and i've wondered if that would work.....

Wow you guys are awesome! You have such wonderful ideas. Man that's awesome Arcy, 5 years!!! Man I hope mine hold up that well!!
Hoping to get started on these shortly!!! lol

I painted my stepping stones a year ago with outdoor paints from Wal-mart. They are in the craft section. So far, so good! None of the paint has worn off and they are not sheltered at all. I also used a few of those along with concrete paint to paint my patio and it's held up as well. My web address is: http://myweb.cableone.net/hottootie/garden.html

You can see the stepping stones in the first pic on the first page and the last pic on the second page.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:141618}}