How to Decorate Pet Rocks
Whether you want a creative paperweight or simply need an activity to keep children busy on a rainy afternoon, decorate a family of pet rocks to liven up a space or mood. Gather an assortment of rocks from a garden or purchase a bag of river rocks from a craft or art supply store. Use basic craft supplies such as acrylic paints, wiggle eyes and stickers to create rocks with an assortment of colors, styles and personalities.
Things You'll Need
- Scrap paper
- Rock
- Acrylic paint
- Paintbrush or foam applicator
- Sea sponge or cling wrap
- Wiggle eyes, foam, fabric or felt
- White glue or adhesive dots
- Scissors
- Yarn, embroidery floss or ribbon
- Marker
- Stickers or miniature objects
Instructions
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Protect your table from paint spills and sticky adhesive residue by covering the work surface with scrap paper.
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Leave the surface of the rock "as is" or coat it with a layer of acrylic paint applied with a paintbrush or foam applicator. You can also add texture by dipping a sea sponge or a wad of plastic cling wrap in the paint and dabbing it on the surface of the rock. Let the paint dry for at least 30 minutes.
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Add a pair of plastic wiggle eyes to the top or side of the rock with dabs of white glue or adhesive dots. You can also create eyes with paint or by using scissors to cut two circles from a piece of foam, cardstock or felt.
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Create a hairstyle for the pet rock, if desired, by using scissors to cut five to 10 strands of yarn, embroidery floss or thin ribbon. Gather the strands and create a "part" in the hairstyle by tying another piece of yarn, floss or ribbon in a tight knot around the center of the strands. Use adhesive dots to affix the hair to the rock, knot-side down.
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Draw a mouth on the rock with a marker or a thin paintbrush and acrylic paint.
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Give the pet rock a themed accent that corresponds with an occupation or interest. If the rock is a golfer, for example, add a golf ball sticker on one side. If it's a teacher, use adhesive dots to affix a tiny plastic apple or chalkboard sold in the miniature section of a craft or toy store to one side.
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Tips & Warnings
If you've gathered rocks from a garden, help the paint and embellishments adhere to the surface by washing the rocks with soapy water and scrubbing the crevices with an old sponge. Let the rocks dry completely before decorating them.
To present decorated rocks as gifts, create a "bed" of cotton balls or tissue paper inside a small gift bag or box. Affix a tag on the top with the rock's name written with a colorful marker.
When younger kids are helping you decorate the pet rocks, avoid using embellishments such as plastic wiggle eyes or miniature toy shapes. If a child is still prone to putting small objects into his mouth, the accents can be a choking hazard. Instead, create eyes and decorations using paint, markers or pieces of cardstock and felt.
