Round paver stones used for a garden walkway create a visually interesting juxtaposition with the straight, square sides of the walkway outline. Many companies that sell concrete mix also sell molds for pouring and setting pavers, but you can make your own from flexible 1/4-inch-thick benderboard, a material commonly used for edging. Use a leftover scrap to make a single mold, or buy a benderboard roll and make several molds at once. Benderboard is usually overlapped and secured with screws, but this can leave an impression in the paver, so you can simply tape the ends together.
Measure and mark the benderboard edging at 38-inch intervals for each paver form to make pavers that are roughly 12 inches in diameter, a standard size for round pavers. Use a straightedge to ensure the ends of each cut piece are straight. If you want to increase or decrease the paver size, multiply the desired diameter by pi, 3.14, and round the product up to the nearest whole number. In this case, 12 times pi equals 37.68, so when you round up to make cutting the board easier, the finished diameter of the circle will be about 12 1/10 inches.
Cut the 38-inch benderboard pieces from the roll, using a razor knife. Hold a straightedge, such as a ruler, in place beside the line to serve as a guide to keep the cuts straight.
Bend the benderboard pieces to form a circle with the two ends butted against each other. Follow the natural curve as a result of the board being in a roll. If you purchase straight benderboard, you can soak the pieces in warm water for a few hours to increase pliability.
Apply a piece of duct tape to the inside and outside of the seam where the two ends meet; the tape should run in the same direction as the seam. Recruit a helper to hold the ends together while you tape them. Apply a few pieces of tape running perpendicular with the seam on the inside and outside of the circle to reinforce the first pieces of tape.
Spray the inside of the paver mold with nonstick cooking spray to make it easy to release the concrete.
Set the round mold or molds on the ground where you wish to add a concrete paver. Fill the molds halfway or to a depth of 2 inches with wet concrete mixed to a consistency similar to oatmeal or thick pancake batter; the concrete must be thick enough to hold its shape so you can lift the mold and reposition it to pour the next paver unless you made a mold for each paver. Spread the top of the concrete smooth, using a trowel.
Things You Will Need
- Measuring tape
- Razor knife
- Duct tape
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Push decorative stones or small tile pieces into the top of the wet concrete mix to create decorative stepping stones and garden markers.
- The duct tape might still leave small line impressions in the concrete paver, but you can brush the edges with a wire brush to remove most of these lines.
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