I've been wanting to share this one for awhile.
These are so cool!
Do you remember the garden mess I showed you? You can check it out here. Anyway, it looks so much better but it is incomplete.
I need to establish an edge around that garden area.
I didn't like anything out at the big box stores... so I decided to do it my way.
Yep! I made my own pavers!
We really did look at all kinds, I even purchased some red bricks. But, uh no, I was not a big fan of the red. So, after being disappointed at the selection, plus not wanting to spend a fortune, I figured I could do this.
How hard could it be? Not hard at all!
I just needed some sort of form, that would be easy to use, lightweight, and reusable. I headed over to the Dollar Tree and found the perfect form.
I bought 10 of them. So far $10 invested.
Then I oiled them lightly, so the paver would come out easily. I also marked the outside with a line on both sides,
so I would know how much to fill each form.
Then hubs and I picked up a bag of concrete, that was about $2.50.
Okay, so now we are up to $12.50, not bad.
Next up, let's mix up the concrete.
We grabbed an old bucket and trowel added some water and dumped in some concrete mix. Easy enough. You want the consistency to be kinda like oatmeal, or peanut butter. Not too runny but not too dry. You just have to experiment with it. We scooped some into the form and smoothed it out.
We just kinda chopped it and pounded it.
They got real watery at the top, but hubby said that's supposed to happen.
By the next day they were all dry.
They came out perfect!
I figure I'll be able to make about 15 or so pavers per bag.
Let's say I want to make about 100.
So, let's do the math. 15 pavers per bag, 7 bags will make about 105 pavers. That's $17.50 + $10 for the forms =$27.50
Then divide that by 105 = about $.26 per paver! Not bad. I'd pay about $60, if I bought them from the big box store, that's at $.58 per paver!
Yep, I'm going the cheap way!
Oh, and I'm even saving more, because they are about 3 inches longer than a standard brick!
I LOVE the way they came out!!
I only have to make about a zillion of them....
because 100 probably won't be enough. Now, I'm thinking of getting a smaller form to go around the gardens... I'll save that one for next year.
Gotta go mix up some more!
Blessings,
Linking up at: http://www.homestoriesatoz.com
http://theturquoisehome.com
You go girl! They look great!!!!
ReplyDeleteit really cool!! how creative!!
ReplyDeleteLori You have really outdone yourself this time!! That is so awesome. I may do this as a fall project. I have a spot in the yard that was a flowerbed at one time but now that I do mostly pot gardening (flowers, that is), I wanted to work up the ground and put pavers there to sit flower pots on for next summer. Just may have to try this. You so are AMAZING! And cheap (oops I meant frugal). Love you , nana
ReplyDeleteDid you ever use them to pave a patio? I'd be interested in seeing the final results. They turned out great.
ReplyDeleteThis is so awesome! I love that you were able to make them for less than half of what you would have paid pre-made.
ReplyDelete