Walkway molds made from plastic or metal can make creating a distinctive and useful walkway easy and quick. Molds come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and the finished product can be made to mimic cobblestone, brick, stone, or other custom shapes that are more decorative. Some walkway molds can even be custom-made to fit a builder's specifications, though these are more expensive. Concrete is poured into the walkway molds to form the specific shapes outlined by the molds, and the color of the concrete can be changed with iron oxide pigments. This allows the concrete to mimic the color of brick, or other custom colors.
The most common walkway molds are made to form the shape of cobblestones, though not always necessarily evenly shaped cobblestones. The size and shape of the cobbles varies depending on the mold, and a buyer has a fair amount of choices for the particular application of the mold. A wider, longer walkway might benefit from larger cobbles, while a smaller walkway might look better with smaller, rectangular cobbles. The aesthetic is entirely up to the builder, and plenty of molds exist from which to choose.
Some walkway molds are meant to mimic the shape of a brick pathway. The molds are set out in a grid pattern meant to look like laid bricks, and by adding an iron oxide pigment to the concrete, the finished product will look very much like actual bricks. The texture may be different, however, so the builder may have to spend a bit of time modifying the look of the concrete before it sets. Other walkway molds are meant to mimic the look of rough stones, so the shapes are uneven and the surface of the stones can also be made to look and feel uneven. Such a mold is often used for garden pathways to complement the raw, earth-like look of the garden.
Other molds can be made to look more ornate. The finished, set concrete can be made to look like specific patterns or designs, from birds to Celtic knots or any other design the maker chooses. Custom molds can also be purchased to fit a specific pattern the homeowner or builder chooses. If the homeowner is particularly enterprising, he or she can make his or her own molds to fit a specific pattern or shape. Store-bought molds are usually made from plastic, but custom molds can be made from wood or metal to make fashioning one much easier.