How to Create Whimsical Flagstones for Your Garden

You will need stones, shelf liner paper - if you don't have drawing skills, it is best to use clear, otherwise, any color will do, a marker, a sharp blade, newspaper, sponges, and at least 3 shades of exterior latexpaint. You will paint each rock with a base color and then add other elements in 2 other colors. For more variation options with the stones, use more than 3 colors. Rocks with at least one flat side are best for the border rocks, two flats sides for the flagstones. Take approximate measurements of your stones, so you know how big to make the stencils. Optional: Add a little iridescent pigment to the paint for a hint of sparkle.

Lay out the newspaper on the sidewalk. This will be your work area. Lay your first stone with the flattest side facing upwards. Sponge on the base color. Use the paint sparingly until you can see how the color is going to look on the rock when dry. If it isn't bright enough then, you can always add a second coat. Repeat this process with all of your stones, varying the base colors or not, as desired.

While you wait for the base coats to dry, it is time to make your stencils. Start by trimming the shelf liner into shapes that match the measurements you took of the stones. Next, you are going to draw/trace a picture of a natural element (leaves, ivy, etc) on one part of the shape and a word on another portion. Use the blade carefully to cut out these shapes from the rectangle.

Once the base coat is completely dry, it is time to apply the stencil. Remove the backing layer of the liner and lay the stencil on the stone with as few wrinkles as possible. Paint over the spaces you have cut out. The picture element should be in a different color than the word. You can dab the sponge as you did with the base color, use it in strokes like a brush or use more paint, depending on the effect you desire.