DIY Scalloped Concrete Garden Border Using a Simple Metal Mould

I wanted to make a border around my garden, but instead of buying ready-made pieces, I decided to make my own using cement and a simple metal mould.

The shape is made by bending a thin metal strip into curves. I then filled the mould with cement mixture, let it harden, and used the finished pieces around my garden.

The nice thing about this method is that you can make the shape according to your own garden.

1. Thin metal strip
2. Cement
3. Fine sand
4. Water
5. Trowel
6. Pliers
7. Measuring scale
8. Marker
9. Wooden pieces for support
10. Shovel
11. Gloves

First, I took a long, thin metal strip. I marked the places where I wanted the curves to be. Then I started bending the strip. I bent the strip into a repeated curved pattern. I didn't use a complicated tool for this. I slowly bent the metal and checked the shape as I went. The important thing is to make the curves smooth.

I made two curved metal sections so that I could cast more than one piece. The mould was placed on a flat surface. I used pieces of wood around it to keep the metal in place. This is important because the wet cement can push the metal out of shape.

I mixed cement and fine sand first. Then I slowly added water and mixed everything together. I kept adding water until I got a thick mixture that could be spread and pressed into the mould. I didn't make the mixture too watery because I wanted it to hold the shape of the mould.

I started putting the cement mixture into the metal mould. I used a trowel to push it into the curved areas. Make sure the mixture reaches the edges and corners of the mould.After filling the mould, I pressed and worked the mixture with the trowel. I also gently tapped the surrounding support so that trapped air could come out. This gives a more solid piece and reduces holes in the finished surface.Once the mould was completely filled, I used the trowel to level the top.

Now comes the part where you need patience. I left the mould undisturbed until the cement had hardened enough to hold its shape. Don't remove the metal while the cement is still soft. Once the piece was hard enough, I carefully removed the wooden supports. Then I slowly separated the metal strip from the cement. The curved shape of the mould was now visible in the finished piece. After removing the mould, I allowed the cement pieces to cure properly.I kept them from drying out too quickly and gave them time to gain strength before installing them in the garden.

Now I moved to the garden. I marked where I wanted the border to go and dug a shallow trench along the edge. The trench doesn't need to be very deep, but it should be deep enough to hold the pieces firmly.

I placed the finished pieces into the trench one by one. I arranged them so that the curves followed each other and created one continuous pattern. I adjusted the soil underneath whenever a piece was too high or too low.Once all the pieces were in the right position, I packed soil around them. This helped hold the pieces firmly in place. I also used some broken pieces of brick around the border where needed.

Finally, I cleaned the loose soil from the surface and around the pieces.

And this was the final result. Instead of a plain edge, the garden now has a handmade concrete border with a repeating curved pattern. You can paint this with any colour or leave this as it is.

1. Keep the metal mould firmly supported before adding cement.
2. Don't make the cement mixture too watery.
3. Make sure cement reaches every part of the mould.
4. Don't remove the mould too early.
5. Give the finished pieces enough time to cure.
6. Take your time when positioning the pieces in the garden.

I liked this method because I wasn't limited to the shapes available in a shop. The mould can be changed to make different designs. A different curve in the metal strip can give you a completely different garden border. It is a simple idea, but it lets you make something that fits your own garden instead of using a standard design.