Tutorial: How to make a miniature garden path

Last year I made a little “Hobbit House”, and wanted to have someplace outside where I could do some landscaping around it. I could just imagine the little people who might come and move in, and wanted to make it as nice as possible for them! One idea I always have wanted for my own garden is a pebble mosaic garden path. So rather than build one full sized, I decided my little fairy friends might like one too!

Materials:
1. Polymer Clay in different shades, white, tan, brown, stone (This comes in different colors, but has little speckles to make it look like real rock): about $10.00
2. Sheet of thin board from craft store: $2.79
3. Brown acrylic craft paint: $1.79
4. White craft glue (Elmer’s style): $1.99
5. Patience: priceless
Total for project: $16.57

1) Start with different colors of polymer clay. I like to use some of the rock-effect clay to give each block a different look. Warm clay is stickier to work with, so may need to be thrown in the freezer for a few minutes to cool off.

2) Start rolling each color into the small “stones” that you will end up using. Remember, just like real rocks, each stone is going to be a different size and shape.

3) After you roll them out, flatten each piece, then cut them in half with a sharp blade. Putting them in the freezer for a few minutes helps them to stiffen up if they are too warm and pliable, which I really found happened at this point. Once they are cut in half, bake them according to the instructions on the package.

4) Cut the base piece to the size and shape you want. If you don’t have a saw, get a thin enough piece of wood, which can actually be cut with scissors. Then glue the pieces together, and you are ready to go. I wanted mine to be sturdy, so I glued additional braces on the bottom where the glued seams were.

5) Paint your board. I chose brown because that would be the color of the sand and dirt below the “rocks” if this were a real path. Then draw your design on with a pencil, or white colored pencil.

6) Let the fun begin! Glue each “stone” on one at a time according to your design. I recommend sitting down with a good movie and getting comfortable. You’re going to be here for a while. (Might I also add that I have a two year old daughter who was out of town when I made this project….no way could I have ever finished it with her tiny hands “helping” me! ♥)

I love seeing the fingerprints on each “stone” below. It shows that a human made each and every one of them!

Getting close to being done, and neat to see the design taking form! (I’m on my third movie by now…)

Now it’s time to do some landscaping around the path to see if it will fit or not…

I landscaped with some succulents and violets that were already well established, then added some Corsican mint. I made a sitting area where mom, dad, and little one could sit and take a break after working hard in the garden 🙂