Garden memorial stones are beautiful statements made in the honor of the beloved ones. Either it is a family member, a friend, or your beloved pet, garden memorial stones can help us keep their memory alive forever.

On the market, there are dozens of types of stock memorial stones. Although they are beautiful, not everyone appreciates them. In fact, most people prefer DIY memorial stones.

Besides being more personal, most people also feel that by making garden memorial stones for their loved ones instead of simply buying them brings honor to those that have passed away. Most of the times, homeowners would rather invest in a garden angel to match with the memorial stone, rather than choosing a stock memorial stone. Let’s see why.

Types Of Garden Memorial Stones

Garden memorial stones can be decorations to place in a corner of the garden or step-on stones integrated with the pathway. Step-on stones can also be placed as decorations when located in remote corners or on the edge of a flowerbed or garden pond.

DIY garden memorial stones can also be categorized based on the materials used to make them. The most popular stones are made either of plaster of Paris or cement. However, you can use any other material to make the stone, such as terracotta or resin, as long as you have the skills to work with these materials.

Garden memorial stones are usually placed in the garden either in the memory of a family member or a pet. Nevertheless, you can decorate your garden with memorial stones remembering a national event or anything else you might want to remember when you see the stone.

DIY Vs. Stock Garden Memorial Stones

On the market, there are dozens of models of memorial stones. So, why do it yourself when you could save the hassle? Here’s why!

Homemade garden memorial stones are original and personal. You can give them any shape you want, make them of any size, and decorate them as you please. For example, you can decorate the memorial stone with a photo of your beloved one, or with a favorite phrase.

On a DIY memorial stone, you can write the name of the lost one or a date to remember.

You can also decorate DIY garden memorial stones with anything you like, such as marble beads, a favorite toy or object, glitter, words, and more.

Besides, by making the garden memorial stones yourself, you’ll be able to create a stronger bond with the lost one. The stones will bring back more memories compared to the stock stones. Moreover, your memorial stones will be unique. You’ll not risk visiting your neighbor’s garden just to see the same stone standing in a corner.

If these are good enough reasons to consider making garden memorial stones, then know that it’s not hard to make them. Whether you want to make a stepping stone or a memorial stone decorations, you can just follow the easy steps described below.

How To Make Plaster Garden Memorial Stones

Plaster is a great material if you want to make stepping garden memorial stones. They are really easy to make and you can place them anywhere in the garden.

I suggest to create a corner dedicated to your garden memorial stones and decorate it with a garden statue, a bench, and a few pots with flowers. Then build a pathway of garden memorial stones to keep the memory of your beloved ones alive forever.

Things You’ll Need

• Plaster of Paris
• Decorations
• Plastic and Glass letters
• Garden Spade
• Bucket
• Water

How To Do It

• With the garden spade, dig a hole of the shape and size you want the memorial stone to have. You can place the memorial stone anywhere in the garden, although I suggest picking a quiet spot. The hole should be at least 3 inches deep.
• In a bucket, mix the plaster of Paris with the water, using the quantities or proportions indicated by the manufacturer. Make sure to mix it well to obtain a homogeneous composition.
• Pour the plaster mixture into the hole, filling it to the top.
• Allow the plaster to rest for 10 minutes. In this time, the plaster will become firm enough to hold its shape but soft enough to allow you to push objects into it.
• Decorate the memorial stone with any objects you like. For example, you can use glass beads, letters, photos, or even larger objects, such as a pet’s toy.
• Let the stone to set for at least four hours before stepping on it. Ideally, you should let it sit for 12 to 24 hours.

How To Make Molded Cement Garden Memorial Stones

If you don’t want to make stepping stones but rather garden memorial stones to use as decorations, you can simply use cement and a mold. If you don’t fancy cement, simply choose another material, such as plaster of Paris or resin. Let’s see how to do it.

Things You’ll Need

• Mold
• Cement
• water
• Bucket
• Decorations

How To Do It

• Mix the cement with water in a bucket, following the manufacturer’s indications.
• Pour the cement into a mold and let it sit for about 15 minutes. You can use any mold you like. For a traditional memorial stone, choose a square or oval mold. If you want something unique, use an unusual or non-traditional shape.
• After about 15 minutes, the cement is firm enough to hold its shape but soft enough to allow you to push things into it. Choose the decorations you like and simply push them into the cement. If you want to use a photo to decorate the stone, use a laminated photo as it will last longer.
• With a thick pen or a skewer, write any wording you want on the stone.
• Let the stone set for at least four hours, until the cement is solid.
• Seal the decorations with polyurethane and let it dry.
• Remove the garden memorial stone from the mold and place anywhere in the garden.

Final Thoughts

Making garden memorial stones at home is simple and rewarding. You’ll be able to decorate your property with an original stone, made in the loving memory of your dears . Besides being personal, a DIY memorial stone is unique and it will help you keep alive the memory of the lost ones. Now all you have to do is give it a try!