Ideas for Stepping Stones

Fun Paths

• Use unusual-shaped natural stones to lead your children and guests around lawn attractions and entertaining areas. Mix up the sizes -- some small, some large. Make a separate but fun children's path with smaller and more colorful hodgepodge mixtures of stones. For the checker-playing person in your family, create the checkerboard effect using stones spaced equal distances on the lawn -- in the checkerboard pattern -- and using grass between each stone.

Practical Uses

• Use stepping stones in your pond to enable you to move about the pond more easily and to transport or remove pond plants as well as address any maintenance issues. Pond stepping stones will sit atop a firm foundation created beneath the pond with a cement footing, a pond liner, brick piers and your stone. Your pond stepping stones should be ideal for use in a water setting, such as the water-resistant slate, marble or granite, and should match your pond theme, the surrounding colors and decor.

Formal Looks

• For formal entertaining you will want a stepping stone that is trimmed and neat in appearance and upscale in look. You want the stepping stone to coordinate well with the patio area stone of your home where your stones will lead guests outside the home. Use the same type stones and color for the path and patio area. Choose marble, slate or granite stones if you desire an unusual path or patio flooring color like red.

Nature's Course

• Your flower-laden garden path should include stones that weave through it as if they've always been there. Create that look by using stepping stones that are more rustic looking and of colors in keeping with your geographical environment and garden. Tans, browns, beige and gold colors can be found in limestone products, which make good garden path stepping stones. Fill in the space between each stone with moss to make your garden path appear to be a product of nature.