Decorate steppingstones for Father’s Day

Anticipating summer, a reader recently wrote: “Gazing out over our yard, I’d like to add decorations to make it look more interesting and fun, but it’s hard to know where to start. I’m already challenged keeping the plants growing and the weeds under control. Any ideas for our family?”

One of my favorites is decorating walkways and flower beds with steppingstones created by and for your family. With Father’s Day around the corner, you’ll have great gifts for Pop, too.

If you’re worried about the fuss of stirring up concrete, put that thought aside. Here’s my shortcut to making a creative display of garden keepsakes.

Head off to your local garden center with the kids and their allowance money in their pockets to look for plain, concrete garden steppingstones. The basic styles with a smooth surface are less than $3 each.

When you get home, wash the steppingstones, set on sheets of newspaper and paint designs on the top side. Use nontoxic waterproof acrylic paints, such as Liquitex paints in squeeze bottles. On Father’s Day, set them out in the garden with a card that might say “Follow these steps to sit back, relax and have a Happy Father’s Day!”

Here are some simple design ideas:

•Paint letters for a “WELCOME” message on a steppingstone at the entrance of your yard.

•Paint pictures of herbs, flowers and trees.

•Create a mosaic look. Cut a new kitchen sponge into several 1-inch-square pieces. Dip squares in different colored paints and stamp on the steppingstone to create a picture or design. Keep it simple. A house, sailboat or sun with rays are good choices.

•Dip hands in paint palms-down and make handprints to mark your growing family.

Parenting tip: For complicated designs, cut out a piece of paper the size of the steppingstone and make a sketch first.