Project book · an afternoon

Set stepping stones

A path across the lawn that stays put and does not wear a bald strip in the grass.

How many stones?

stones

This fits in a car

About 500 lb of materials. Comfortably inside what a car carries (200 lb), so any shopper can take it.

Before you start

Call 811 before digging — even shallow holes can find a cable that was buried too shallow. Each stone is around 35 lb, so carry one at a time.

What to buy — untick anything you have

Stone

10 Concrete stepping stone, 16 in roundAll the same style and color. Stack them flat in the vehicle — they crack if they slide around.
3 bags of paver sand, 0.5 cu ft

Tools — already ticked off, since most people have them

Tools

It lands in the shopping form, where you can edit anything and say what you think each thing costs. Nothing is ordered until you send it.

How it goes · about an afternoon · beginner

Lay the stones out on the grass and walk the path, moving them until they fall where your feet land — usually about 24 in center to center.
Cut around each stone with the spade and lift the sod out.
Dig each hole about an inch deeper than the stone is thick and put an inch of sand in the bottom.
Set the stone and tap it down with the mallet until it sits level and just below the grass so the mower rolls over it.
Brush sand into the gaps around the edges and water it to settle.

Something else

Feeding people instead? The recipe book works the same way — pick a meal, say how many, every ingredient lands on the list.