Bricks, Masonry, Asphalt and Concrete - stepping stones

My wife is trying to make stepping stones using large plant leaves to make a inprint.
She needs what I think is a smooth concrete like the kind that they use on sidewalks.
she used some stuff by Quikrete it is a concrete mix.It had lots of rocks in it and I think is made for things like setting fence posts.
Please any advice on a nice smooth surface concrete that will show a imprint.

When you trowel the surface of what she is using, the moisture rises and it smooths out so you can make an imprint of the leaf.

You may need a cement mix to give you the surface your looking for. It does not contain stones like the concrete mix but may have to be reinforced with a mesh type product for strength.
Good luck on your project and post back.

Thanks for the good info this is her first time so we will see how it turns out.She used a box lined in plastic and put the leaf on the bottom.That mesh makes sense to keep it togeather.

You can try Sand (Topping) Mix from Quikrete, their product # 1103. Just contains cement and sand -- no coarse gravel. I made a bunch of stepping stones last summer and the sand mix was nicer than the cement, which I also used. Try as I could to smooth out the concrete, there would always be one or two bits of gravel at the surface.

Don't bother with their dinky little 10 lb size, it's comparable in cost to a 40 or 60 lb bag!

I've made several stepping stones out of leaves. My preferred mix is 1:1 portland cement to sand. You can also use 1:2 or 1:3. The 1:1 mix gives a lot of detail from the veins.

You can also make birdbaths and fountains out of them. Check out this website for fountain ideas and how to paint them. Check out the prices too. I've sold some, but not for that price.

http://www.gardenartandgifts.com/cascadingfountains.htm

You will need to either paint them with Patio paints or concrete paint or seal them with a concrete sealer if left out during the winter in cold climates.

Here's my Webshots album of some of the things I've made out of concrete & hypertufa -

http://community.webshots.com/user/kayb1101

Be sure you seal your bag of cement up so no moisture can get in. Moisture will ruin the cement and it will have to be disposed of.

If you have other questions, I'd be glad to help.

Barb

I checked out your stepping stones and that is the effect we are after they look real nice. Looks like the Portland cement and sand is the correct way to do it.
The birdbaths and fountains look super I might want to try something like that at a later date since that looks like some molds might be required.
Do you use any reinforcement like rebar in the birdbath?
Thank you for the input and the error of my ways.