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Do you have old pavers laid out on your driveway or walkway? Or maybe you did some garden decoration, but aren’t really satisfied with the product or color that you used anymore?
Garden paths and stone walkways can look amazing, especially when the spaces in between are filled with moss or other low-growing plant life. A beautiful path might seem out of reach since flagstone and other paving materials can be quite expensive.
However, an eye-catching pathway can be made using plain concrete pavers, and it does not have to look ordinary as paver colors can be changed. They are easy to decorate using common crafting supplies that are inexpensive and readily available.
In a same way, painted patio pavers can be easy way to be different from our neighbors. That’s why I’ve gathered some cheap patio paver ideas to do something on a budget.
I have been thinking of creative ways to paint and decorate plain concrete pavers. With these ideas and the time it takes to decorate one of the most inexpensive solid materials available, the results can be amazing. Expand upon these ideas, or come up with some of your own.
A beautiful yard does not have to be professionally landscaped or designed. Some of the most impressive properties were designed with creativity and inexpensive supplies.
How to change color on pavers with paint
Begin with a coat of durable bonding primer and high-quality paint when striving to decorate plain concrete pavers. Buy concrete primer and concrete pavers paint that will stand up to the weather and heavy foot traffic. One for concrete surfaces will usually do, then just follow product application directions for best results.
It’s important to use a bonding primer for old and new concrete as it will help the paint adhere. Without primer, the paint might soon peel off and our trouble would be wasted. Painting pavers will be a lot easier after that as the coating will have something to grab into.
If you’re working with old concrete pavers that have been dug out, it would be good to powerwash them. That way the old dirt will get off and the pores of concrete will be clean for the bonding primer to stick into. A clean surface is always the best when it comes to adhering.
Use stencils to decorate the painted concrete pavers
After the base coat of painted pavers dries, use stencils to further decorate the plain concrete pavers. Hold them in place with painter’s tape while sponging or spraying the designs. Let the paint dry for a minute or two before carefully removing the stencil and moving on to the next one.
When sponging paint, it’s important to know how much you can apply at once. I recommend starting with little paint on the sponge to avoid getting too much on the stencils as it can ruin the decorative pattern.
Also depending on the stencils, if the paint gets on the wrong side of it because of too much paint usage, it’s good to clean it up in between pavers. It’s good to pick up stencils that are easy to clean for this kind of project.
How to paint pavers for crafts with sponges
Another creative way to decorate plain pavers is with sponges and concrete paint. Create a pebbled look with three shades of gray or brown and three natural oval sponges. Keep in mind that you cannot make a mistake while using sponges to decorate concrete pavers. From a distance, they will look very convincing and far more expensive than they really were, even if they are not consistent or perfect.
The sponge is also easy to cut, rip, and bind. One fun way is to rip tiny pieces off and use it as a stamp. The hollow points will be paint-free. It can also be made into a round paint stamp that can be used to go through the base painted concrete pavers to create a unique look for every stone.
Creative color arrangement ideas
If stenciling and sponging are steps that you do not want to take when striving to decorate plain concrete pavers, opt for a unique arrangement instead. For example, paint half of the concrete pavers solid black, and paint the others solid white. A combination of blood-red and deep black also makes a very eye-catching display.
The painted concrete pavers can be then laid in a checkerboard pattern to create a unique walkway that will look professionally designed. No matter which colors are used, the way in which the concrete pavers are arranged will make a dramatic difference over plain varieties.
It could even be a good idea to check the internet for popular patterns to get inspiration from. Another way is to play around with the stones in hand to see what looks pleasing to the eye before installing them.
How to remove paint from pavers
In some cases, you might have old paint on your concrete pavers. If it’s flaking it might be a good idea to remove it. One way is using a pressure washer, depending on the concrete paver type it might also leave mark on pavers, but it will be covered if painted over. There are also paint remover chemicals available.
Another way is mechanical grinding like an angle grinder, but it’s a dusty job without proper equipment. The third way could be using paint thinner/acetone, but if there is a lot of paint to be removed I wouldn’t really recommend that.
Conclusion
As you can see, painting pavers is affordable way to change the outlook of your patio, yard, garden, etc. Concrete without rebar can last ages and pavers are usually made strong.
That means there’s no reason to throw them out if you don’t want to. A better option would be redecorating them and save your money for another project in the house.
Decorating pavers can also be a nice way to change the look them sometimes. Even when the product is still working and looking good, it can be nice to have little change.
