Hypertufa Leaf

An Easy Rustic Craft: Make Hypertufa Leaves Stepping Stones

**Hypertufa leaf casting**

Making a hypertufa leaf casting is one of the easiest rustic garden crafts.

See how to make hypertufa; Make a batch of hypertufa following the directions and either use a flat dish type mold like a garbage can lid, or even a discarded serving platter to fill with the hypertufa mix.

See the page on hypertufa molds for more ideas and hints.

The best thickness to aim for is around 3cm or more, as anything thinner may tend to be too brittle and crack, or simply crumble. If you’re using your hypertufa leaf for a walkway or stepping stone, it needs to be fairly sturdy.

If you have rhubarb leaves in your garden you can use those to make a hypertufa rhubarb leaf. Other leaves can work just as well for casting; the main requirement is a leaf with definite veins, which will press deeper into the hypertufa and leave a better impression. Ferns such as bracken, or horse chestnut leaves are great too.

Press the leaf into the hypertufa, making sure that all the veins are pressed in.

Leave the leaf on the hypertufa for at least a few hours, to avoid marking the mix by taking it off. Cover the curing hypertufa with plastic wrap for a week or more, leaving it undisturbed and then put it in a water bath for a few days. This curing stage is important, so don’t omit it.

**Hypertufa leaf looks like a fossil once it ages**

When placing your hypertufa leaves in the garden, dig out a spot just big enough for each one, fill the hole with small gravel or sand, and tamp it down.

Place the hypertufa leaf on top of this, making sure it doesn’t rock.

This will make doubly certain that it won’t crack under traffic. Make six or eight of these to place as stepping stones through a perennial bed, or around a fountain or other feature.

As they age and the veins of the leaf fill with debris, moss and other tiny plants may take root, giving the hypertufa leaf casting a look of age and patina. The goal is to have your leaf casting look like a fossil.

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Easy Rustic Projects

Hypertufa Projects

Hypertufa Pinch Pot Tutorial

Building hypertufa pots is a bit challenging - start small with some hypertufa pinch pots to make a charming display filled with tiny Sedum, Sempervivum and Jovibarba, or some of the many beautiful diminutive alpine plants.

Use equal parts by volume of the following ingredients:

Sifted peat moss to remove any larger debris - this can be a higher proportion - up to 1.5 parts.

Perlite - this can be a higher proportion - up to 1.5 parts.

Portland cement powder

You can also add builders sand, or sandblasting slag for stronger mix, for larger items especially. There are many different recipes - some call for sifting the peat moss to a very fine powder, or add fiberglass reinforcing fibers. Experiment until you find your perfect recipe.

Using your gloved hands mix until all ingredients are well combined.

Add water carefully, mixing between each addition. The final result is like a mud pie - it will hold together without crumbling, and hold its shape when formed into a ball.

handfuls of hypertufa mix in plastic bags

Each bag will hold a little pot - use a couple of handfuls, and aim for an equal depth all around. Make sure you put a drain hole in the bottom.

Don't miss the all important curing step in a water bath. See the whole sequence on the Hypertufa Pinch Pots page.

Plant your precious little pots with your favorite succulent plants or alpines, or even moss.

See these pages for more:
How to Make Hypertufa
Hypertufa Pots
Hypertufa Container
How to Make Hypertufa Look Old