Stepping Stones – Make Good Use of Your Old Tennies

If you have some old tennies, slippers, boots, sandals or other pairs of shoes lying around the house, in your closet or in the garage now is the time to make use of them, again!  If your shoes are in too bad of shape to hand down, make them into stepping stones for your garden, landscaping, yard or lawn.  This fun outdoor project of recycling your old tennies into stepping stones will not only look unique but has the potential to add character and personality.

Find Shoes

First you'll want to gather all your old shoes around the house.  Ask family members if they have any lying around the house that they don't wear anymore.  Another great place to look is garage sales.  When choosing shoes from garage sales look for shoes that are somewhat even and smoother than others.  For example, tennies would be better than cleats.  You don't want people tripping over your stepping stones so the flatter the surface the better.

Cut and Clean

Once you have all the shoes you'll need to make your stepping stones you'll want to cut the tops of the shoes off with a scissors or durable utility knife.  They already look like true stepping stones don't they?  Once you have them all cut, wash the bottom of the soles off with soap and water, making sure to rinse well so that suds don't dry on the surface.  Now let the shoes dry for a day or so just to make sure they will not trap any moisture in when painting them.

Splash of Color

Now that you have your cut, clean and dry stepping stones it's time to give them some color.  I used spray paint but you can use whatever source of paint you want.  Just make sure it's durable for outside use so your stepping stones won't loose their color.  This is where you might want a pair of gloves on in case you spray paint.  Hold your shoes upright with one hand and spray the color on.  Another way you can do this is by lying them on a peace of plywood or other flat surface you don't mind paint getting on.  Follow the recommended dry times on the can before applying another coat and then clear coat.

Stake Down

Next, stake down your stepping stones with anchor stakes you can find at your local hardware store.  If you use two anchor stakes per stepping stone you'll want to poke through both ends before staking to the ground.  Once you have the anchor stakes poked through the stepping stones, step them into the ground making sure that the surface of each stepping stone is flush with the ground.  The best places to stake down your stepping stones would be in the grass, dirt, garden, wood chips or pea rock.

Now you have a unique path of stepping stones that you can say you created with your own hands.  These homemade stepping stones will add a touch of your personality and whatever else you want to your landscaping.  Creating your own stepping stones can also make a great project with your kids.  Baby and small kids' shoes add a cute touch to your stepping stones path.  Create a story with these stepping stones you make out of your family's old shoes.

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