I needed some block steps for a corner in our backyard. It's possible to purchase them, but the price per step is quite high and coloured ones are hard to get.

Making those steps on your own, in your favourite colour couldn't be easier. Using iron oxide to colour the concrete has a great advantage - if the surface of the steps gets damaged the colour will remain the same as it is not just a surface paint.

Here is how I did it!

Supplies

The most important ingredient is iron oxide to colour the concrete
Iron oxide is available mostly online - you need approx. 1kg for 5 steps
The more iron oxide you use, the more intense will be the colour

Other materials you need are
concrete gravel
cement
water
sunflower oil (or similar)
wood slats for the mold frame
Tools for standard concrete work
spate
cement mixer (if available - mixing can also be done with the spate)
Trowel
Some wood working tools for the mold

Step 1: Preparing the Casting Mold

First build a casting mold in the desired measures for the steps
Consider your preferred stepping height - 15cm is a good size
I build one mold for 5 steps - to save material you may want to use one or two molds multiple times
paint the mold with sunflower oil to assure getting it off without having the concrete stick to it after drying

Step 2: Mixing

Pre-mix the iron oxide in a separate bucket with some water
Wear old clothing, googles and gloves! (the picture was taken after the actual mixing process!)
Mix the gravel and cement according the suppliers instrucions
Make sure you calculate the correct amount for your steps
Mix the iron oxide into the concrete