DIY Concrete Pavers

I've been wanting to share this one for awhile. These are so cool!
DIY Concrete Pavers
Do you remember the garden mess I showed you?
Garden Mess
We did manage to clean it up and add stones, you can see how much better it looks now. I just need to establish an edge around that garden area. No More Garden Mess.

I didn't like anything out at the big box stores... so I decided to do it my way.
DIY Concrete Paver

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.
Forms for DIY Concrete Pavers
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.
Concrete Supplies for pavers
Next up, let's mix up the concrete.
Mixing 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.
Concrete in forms
We just kinda chopped it and pounded it.
Fill concrete to lines

Tap and shake til smooth
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!
DIY Concrete Pavers
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!!
DIY Concrete Pavers
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,
 photo New Lori 100_zps2lw4mgnc.jpg

20 comments

  1. Great idea. My mind is already running on different shapes. LOL

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    1. Thanks, Sara! Hmmm.... shapes, huh? I still have to do some stepping stones too!

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    1. Thank you! I think some of the "creativity" is coming from my sense of cheap... :)

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  3. Lori 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

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    1. Awww, Thanks, Nana!!! That would probably work! Love you! And you're right I am cheap!! :)

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  4. This is awesome! What a great, creative DIY. Thanks for linking up at Work It Wednesday!!

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  5. Did you ever use them to pave a patio? I'd be interested in seeing the final results. They turned out great.

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    1. Hi! Thanks for stopping by! Nope, I haven't used them in a patio. It would be interesting to see if they would work. I'm just lining my garden area. Thanks again!

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  6. What are those containers you bought called?

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    1. Hi Mark! They are like click together little organizers. I've seen them there recently, but you know how it is with the Dollar Tree... I think they have them on their online store. Thanks, for stopping by!

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  7. This is so smart! I would like to try this to make stepping stones! Thanks for the good tutorial!

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    1. I made some stepping stone too! I need to make more... :)

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  8. This is so awesome! I love that you were able to make them for less than half of what you would have paid pre-made.

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    1. I know right! I love finding a cheap way to do something!! :) Thanks for stopping by!!

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  9. What an amazing idea!!! I was wondering if you could post a picture of them placed around your garden. Please and thank you!!

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    1. Thanks! I could send you an email if you like. My email is on my contact page. :) Thanks for stopping by!

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