After removing a portion of our deck, we decided a ground level patio would be fun for our yard. I had seen a neighbor's walkway done with the cobblestons pattern and thought it would be an easy way to make a patio. We borrowed another neighbor's plastic grid which was in a "european brick" pattern - different sized square and rectangular within a 2' x 2' grid.  Each mold needed one 80 pound bag of Quikrete. Although it took 2 days and lots of bags of Quikrete, our patio came out nicely.  One nice aspect of the plastic grid was you could turn it 90 degrees to change the position of the stone pattern, giving the patio and even more rustic look. Being a plastic grid, allowed us to let the form set in the concrete for a few minutes and then lift it to move to the next spot.  Becaue our project too two days, we just rinsed any concrete that stuck to the form off, and chipped away at the dried on portions. I'd recommend these forms as a way to dress up your next patio or walkway diy project.  Ask around, you too may find a neighbor who has the form you could borrow.  And maybe they'll give you some pointers on how to prepare the ground and mix the Quikrete (or even loan you their mixer also).

yesmar61

Madison, SD