Stepping stones that you create yourself using History Stones Molds are as strong as those you would purchase ready made. All stepping stones, whether made of concrete or solid natural stone should placed on smooth, even ground on top of a 4 to 10 inch base layered with small gravel then sand. An uneven base or large rock under your stone could create a fracture point. A path laid properly will last for years and years. Here are a few tips: Mark off your path area using rope or marking with chalk. Make paths wide enough, never less than two feet for a comfortable width. If you will have plants growing over your path, you may want to make the path even wider. Using a shovel mark your stepping stone placement and be sure it is a smooth and level spot. In general, setting stones six to ten inches apart is a comfortable "stepping" space for most people. Crown the path in the center or slope the path slightly to shed water and ensure "safe stepping" and no slipping. Lay a layer of sand and cover with small gravel for a total depth of 4 to ten inches. For colder climates the thicker your base should be. Sand can be rubbed into the edges around your stones to help secure the stones in place. You may want to finish your pathway by using edging to help keep the gravel in place. Another idea is to use plantings that will grow alongside or over the path. Final touch: Fragrant plants that are very low growing such as thyme planted in-between your stepping stones look lovely and provide scent when crushed underfoot. Come back to our History Stones site soon to see much more on pathway design! Do you have tips on path making that you would like to share? If so we would love to hear them and post your comments on our website on a upcoming neighbor to neighbor page. If you have a photograph of your beautiful path we would love to post that and share it with others also. Just drop us a line here at HistorySt@aol.com Guarantee: Our products are guaranteed to be free of manufacturing defect and we offer a 30-day customer satisfaction guarantee. Please read our Information section for more details. Your credit card number, email address and all ordering information are kept safe via Yahoo!'s secure server. You may mail or fax your order if you prefer (see directions on our information page -- button on left side of this page).