Lay Out Leaves

• Find someplace level to pour the leaves where they can be left undisturbed for a few days. Cut a piece of heavy plastic sheeting for each stone. The plastic must be at least six inches bigger than the leaf. Lay out the pieces of plastic on the ground and put one leaf on each piece, bottom side up so that the veining of the leaf will transfer to the concrete. Cut a piece of chicken wire the shape of the leaf but one to two inches smaller.
  
  

Fill the Leaves

• Use regular premixed concrete that you can pick up at any building supply store. A 60-pound bag should be enough for three stones. Mix the concrete to a thick consistency. It should be moistened just enough so that it is completely mixed but will still hold a shape. Watery thin concrete will not work. Add cement coloring when you mix it if you want the stepping stones to be a color other than gray. Gently fill the leaf with concrete using a small trowel or your gloved hand, to a depth of one to one and a half inches. Be careful not to tear the leaf. Lay the chicken wire on the concrete. Make sure the wire does not extend beyond the edges of the leaf. Add another one to one and a half inches of concrete on top of the chicken wire. Pack the second layer of concrete down as you spread it to remove air bubbles. Pull the plastic up around the concrete-filled leaf. Smooth the edges a little by applying some pressure with your hands around the form on the outside of the plastic. Pack dirt, mulch, or gravel up around the form to hold the shape. Cover it with another piece of heavy plastic sheeting and let it set for two days. If you are making more than one stepping stone, you can cover all of them with one large piece of plastic and weigh it down with some rocks, bricks or anything at hand with some weight to it.
  
  

Remove the Plastic

• On day three remove the plastic, flip the stone over and remove the other piece of plastic and the leaf. Spray the stone with the hose to remove any bits of leaf left on the concrete. Allow the stones to finish curing for at least a week, spraying them every day to keep them moist while they cure. They can be set where you plan to put them while they cure but do not step on them or set anything on them during the first week.