Cheap birthday gift that will last a lifetime.

by Betsy Tunnell
(Kingsburg, CA)

At every home improvement store they sell the blank concrete stepping stones. They sell for about a dollar.

Get a bag of colored grout from the flooring department. Mix a small amount with water and spread it over the top of the stepping stone. Let it dry a bit to firm up then press kids hand prints, feet, or write whatever you want into the almost set grout. Let it dry and you will have a stepping stone or "faucet" rock that you place under the outdoor faucet where it gets muddy.

You can do one each for every member of the family or a family stone where everyone contributes something to the stone.

What I love about this gift is that everyone, parents,aunts, uncles, grandparents love it, and kids love it, because many years later they are amazed at the tiny size their hands were when they made it and IT CAN BECOME A TRADITION for each year if someone wants to create a garden path over time.

And they can be easily moved if you change homes. You can also use them upright as end blocks to build shelving.