Are you ready for another adorable and easy Arts & Crafts project that the whole family will love? (You too, mama!) These easy DIY painted rocks are fun to collect, make, and decorate the house with! Plus, the kiddos will have a blast making them!
In our family, we’re all about finding fun crafts to do with the kids. Okay, mostly, I’m in love with crafting, and I’m constantly looking for ways to get the girls into my DIY projects too! Lucky for me, they totally dig it – especially our oldest, Scarlett.
Three afternoons a week, we have a super babysitter who helps out so that I can style shoots, hop on calls with brands, write blog posts, send emails, and generally catch up on life. (a.k.a., a lifesaver for work-from-home moms.) Our babysitter also happens to be a crafting goddess.
So naturally, when she first showed up with a handful of beautifully painted rocks I went crazy for the project! Not to mention, Scarlett – aged four – is currently obsessed with rocks (and sticks). Anyone else’s kid an avid rock collector? I swear our car is filled with rocks that our little girl has collected from random parking lots for months now.
An Easy Craft for the Whole Family
We decided to turn painted rocks into a fun and easy family and kiads craft, and had the best time making DIY painted rocks. Not only did our daughter have a blast painted the rocks with the little paint brushes (and her fingers), I found myself loving the concentration of painting something so small. We made a few mandala patterns on some of the rocks using different sized points like the ends of toothpicks, lollipop sticks, skewers, or even a pencil you don’t mind getting paint on. If you want to draw things on your rocks, like animal shaps, stripes, or polka dots, you can outline with a pencil first or use thin painters tape to section out and mark lines, etc.
How to Use Your DIY Painted Rocks
There are so many fun uses for your DIY painted rocks. Use them as paper weights, decorate shelves, go on nature walks and hide the painted rocks around your neighborhood with the kids, turn them into fridge magnets using small magnetic discs and industrial strength glue, have the kids make and give their painted rocks as gifts. (Grandparents looooove these!)
Okay, now the DIY you’ve all been waiting for (plus, exactly what you’ll need to create your own painted rocks) …
DIY Painted Rocks
How to Make Painted Rocks
Ingredients
- rocks (you can collect smooth rocks, or buy a big bag on Amazon or at Home Depot)
- Acrylic Paints] ([Metallic Paints are fun too!)
- Paintbrushes
- Clear Gloss (We like Krylon Crystal Clear Acrylic Spray)
- toothpicks, skewers, lollipop sticks, etc.
- pencil (that you don't mind getting paint on)
- Painters Tape (optional)
Instructions
- Make sure your rocks are clean and dry. I love river rocks because they're nice and smooth.
- Paint whatever designs you want. Use different sized tips of toothpicks, skewers, lollipop sticks, etc. to create mandala patterns and dots. Use painters tape to make stripes and lines.
- Once your paint is dry, spray your painted rocks outside with a coat of clear gloss to keep your designs intact.
- Have fun with your new painted rocks!
Notes
There are so many fun uses for painted rocks. Use your rocks as paper weights, decorate shelves, go on nature walks and hide the painted rocks around your neighborhood with the kids, turn them into fridge magnets using small magnetic discs and industrial strength glue, have the kids make and give their painted rocks as gifts. The list goes on and on!
Truth: I made have loved this DIY project as much as (or possibly even more?) than the kids. There’s something so relaxing about painting tiny mandala patterns on smooth stones.
And of course, I’m pretty sure Scarlett loves rocks even MORE now!
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Have you ever decorated rocks? Would you make these DIY painted rocks with your kids? Share your favorite family crafts in the comments!
Photos by Annie Timmons Photography for Glitter, Inc.
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