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How to Lay Pavers as Stepping Stones

Stepping stones were first used to keep walkers from slipping on moss-covered ground. Stepping stones can be created from a variety of materials, such as pavers, to create an attractive path through well-traveled areas of the landscape. Pavers as stepping stones also will provide a stable surface to stand on when working in a garden so you aren't stepping on plants or compacting the soil and mulch.

Things You'll Need

  • Flags (optional)
  • Flat shovel
  • Sand
  • Level
  • Hand shovel
  • Pavers
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Instructions

    • 1

      Walk with a normal gait through the area where the stepping stones will be placed. Use flags or a paver next to each spot where you place your feet to mark the location for the centers of each paver. Pavers, in precast concrete or brick, come in different sizes and shapes.

    • 2

      Dig out the area for the stepping stones with a flat shovel. Measure the height of the pavers and dig 1 inch deeper than that height.

    • 3

      Fill the space for the pavers with 1 1/2 inches of sand. Smooth with a hand shovel.

    • 4

      Place the pavers into the depression and use a level to check that they lie evenly in the sand.

    • 5

      Push some of the excavated soil tight in around the pavers to hold them securely in place.