Reuse Broken Pieces Of Brick To Create A Beautiful Backyard Path

You may have heard the Japanese term "wabi-sabi." In case you can't remember its exact meaning, wabi-sabi describes enjoying the beauty of broken or flawed items. Reusing broken bricks to make lovely patios is wabi-sabi in action, and this concept has been showing up online for a while. If you have — or stumble upon — some salvaged brick in a less-than-ideal state, you can borrow this clever idea on a smaller scale. Piece together pavers or connect them into a winding pathway for a project that'll turn out even prettier than it would with flawless bricks.

Place bits of broken brick in an eye-pleasing pattern, or artistically jumble them together. You can even use mosaic brick pavers for this DIY that takes a boring walkway from drab to fab. Add them to one of our 20 innovative walkway designs for a path less traveled.

No matter the final look you're going for, there are a few things you'll need. Along with broken bricks, you'll need one or more bags of quick-drying concrete and at least one bag of sand. You also may want a large square frame to use as a mold for your individual stepping stones. Whip up a quick form by nailing four pieces of wood scrap into a frame. You can also use the same idea to make a rectangular form. Alternately, you can dig an indentation in the ground where you want your stepping stones or full path, and apply the bricks, sand, and quick-drying concrete directly to the shape you've dug.

With these plans, you can create a line of individual pavers spaced at even intervals, or you can place them one next to another for a continuous path. If you've envisioned a winding walkway rather than a dotted line of pavers, you can follow our instructions for a DIY garden path, subbing slate pieces for broken brick joined with concrete.

For your first stepping stone, either set your frame on a raw, flat dirt surface, or dig your indentation slightly deeper than the height of each brick piece. Add a thin layer of sand to the frame or indentation, and arrange your brick pieces flat on top of the layer of sand, either in a decorative pattern or in a hodgepodge. Add enough bricks to cover the space while leaving between ¼ and ¾ inch margins between each brick piece. Use a straight cut of wood or a level to make sure the bricks come together for a smooth surface. Fill the gaps between each brick piece uniformly with the dry concrete mix, and spray your stepping stone(s) with water from your hose. Before the concrete is fully dry, brush or wipe away excess from the brick faces. Let the concrete cure according to the product directions, and you're ready to welcome the feet of friends and family.