Mosaic Stepping Stone Hopscotch Walkway.

Mosaic Stepping Stone Path

This is an ode to the mosaic stepping stone.

There is much to praise:

Each stone can be its own design or part of a theme, or even part of a larger mosaic image made by placing similar stepping stones side by side.

Stepping stones allow you to build a larger design incrementally, from paths to patios, even whole landscapes.

They allow you to work on a project as you find the time instead of committing to a rigid installation schedule, such as required for pouring a concrete slab.

They don’t require large equipment or contractors.

They don’t require disruption of the installation area necessarily.

They make doing the work as satisfying and peaceful as the results.

Mosaic Garden Pathways
Mosaic Garden Pathways

In my recent post about drainage for garden mosaics, I recommended a quilt of stepping stones as a possible solution to the case study, and I was hoping someone would email me photos of their garden path or patio done that way.

Artist Kim Kahrilas delivered in a big way with photos of her Southern California garden pathways.

Mosaic Hopscotch Walkway in progress with the artist
Mosaic Hopscotch Walkway in progress with the artist

Made from mosaic stepping stepping stones, the paths were part of a complete lawn replacement project, which replaced water-needy grass with succulents and rock gardens.

Stepping stones are easily made using thinset mortar on a concrete paving stone, both of which can be purchased at building material stores.

Mosaic Stepping Stone Hopscotch Walkway, detail.
Mosaic Stepping Stone Hopscotch Walkway, detail.

Best Scale for Viewer

There is another advantage of making smaller mosaics on stepping stones compared to one large mosaic composition on a concrete slab.

Large scenes are wasted in mosaic floors because the viewer doesn’t see all of the mosaic at once. How often will the room or patio be completely empty for viewing?

On the other hand, designs on the scale of a stepping stone or a few adjacent stepping stones are easily viewed merely by looking down.

That makes them the best scale for outdoor floor mosaics.

Path of Mosaic Stepping Stones
Path of Mosaic Stepping Stones

Freeze Protection

I thought of yet another advantage of mosaicing on stepping stones instead of a slab, even if you end up laying the stepping stones on the slab.

If you live in Southern California, you can assume that your outdoor mosaic will last as long as ancient Greek mosaics, at least in terms of the weather.

BUT if you live in North Dakota or anywhere else that has hard freezes, your mosaic will be subjected to a lot more stress.

Path of Mosaic Stepping Stones, opposite side
Path of Mosaic Stepping Stones, opposite side

Glass tile might be nonporous and frost proof, but the concrete and the grout aren’t.

You should clean and reseal the stepping stones each fall to minimize damage, but you can also bring them indoors to a garage or crawlspace for the winter.

You can’t do that with a mosaic mounted on a slab.

If anyone is doubting the affect of hard freezes on mosaics, take a look at the Gaudi Mosaic Bench an artist made in Colorado.

In that project, the artist used glazed ceramic tiles, which are soft and porous, and so the hard freezes quickly destroyed the mosaic.

Stick to glass and porcelain when freezing temperatures are involved.

Garden Door with mosaic inset
Garden Door with mosaic inset

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12 responses to “Mosaic Stepping Stone Path”

  1. Bosha Gordon Avatar
    Bosha Gordon

    Is the garden door made with both glass and mosaic pieces on the glass??

    1. Joe Moorman Avatar
      Joe Moorman

      I think so. We use GE Silicone II as the adhesive when using glass as a backer. The glue should be thin because it is still compressible when cured.

    2. Kim L Kahrilas Avatar
      Kim L Kahrilas

      This started out at Home Depot as a door with a hummingbird inset, which we gave to our in-laws. It is mosaicked with both glass and ceramic pieces on wedi board, cut to size and glued in place after the mosaic was done. (the artist)

  2. Ethel Jaske Avatar
    Ethel Jaske

    Thank you, thank you! My granddaughter and I are putting glass mosaic tiles one her parents fire pit table top. I was going to use gorilla glue but will now use the thinset mortor. We are in Wisc. so we thought if we cover the fire table with a cover it would hold up during the winter. I hope we are right? I greatly enjoy your email posts. There is always something new to learn
    Ethel Jaske

  3. ron dieckman Avatar

    I have been using pavers for outside mosaics for years using thin set. Mine are all individually set rather than a path as I’ve never been comfortable with either family or greyhounds walking on the path. I gather that using glass or porcelain would solve the problem of cut feet or broken glass. Am I correct?

    1. Kim L Kahrilas Avatar
      Kim L Kahrilas

      I prefer to use mostly tile, even broken tile, on my stepping stones. They are attached to the concrete with thin-set. Then I mix grout to peanut butter thickness and they are good to step on. Glass would be slippery, especially when wet. (the artist)

  4. Mary Kuczynski Avatar
    Mary Kuczynski

    Beautiful to say the least! I just wish that I lived closer to Kim so that I could invent some of this magic through her instruction in my garden.

    1. Kim L Kahrilas Avatar
      Kim L Kahrilas

      I wish you were closer also. I love to teach the magic of mosaic.

  5. ron Avatar

    I have used pavers and thin set on several outdoor projects. However I have never combined them into a path since I was concerned that glass would break cut the feet of pets and in bed in the yard. I understand that porcelain and some glass would alleviate the concern. Advice?

    1. Joe Moorman Avatar
      Joe Moorman

      No matter what material you use, you should smooth sharp edges with a Diamond File or a Ceramic and Marble File because grout can erode and expose sharp edges.

  6. Julie Seaman Avatar
    Julie Seaman

    Hi, enjoyed your “mosaic stepping stone path”. I’am making cement pavers with stained glass for a path in Michigan. I know grout can break away but what do you think of putting “flex sealent”
    on top of the glass paver after grouting the paver? Do you think it would save the paver from the winter weather? I hope you will reply, I really would like to hear what you think of this idea. Thank you. Really do appreciate your answer on this.

    1. Joe Moorman Avatar
      Joe Moorman

      I’m not familiar with flex sealant, but it sounds like a silicone caulk with a limited life expectancy.

      I would apply regular tile and grout sealer several times, and I would clean and reseal the mosaics each fall.

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