Last week I shared my painted rock obsession with you and this week, as promised, I’m back with my spin on DIY Paint Rocks. Guys, I have been painting rocks for days. I had so much fun with this. I started out trying to copy some of the inspiration rocks I found, but eventually, I found a groove and came up with some really unique rocks! ***This post contains affiliate links. If you click one and make a purchase, I may receive a commission, at no additional cost to you! Thank you for supporting Lifestyle for Real Life!***
DIY Painted Rocks
Materials
Rocks – from your yard. Or your local park.
Gel Writer Pens – These pens are my new favorite things in the world. They are so awesome.
Rubbing Alcohol – 91%
Small Paint Brushes
I started out off simple with these easy printed word painted rocks.
There’s not much to these but painting a white background and then doodling with your gel pens once they’ve dried. I love the idea of scattering these around town while you’re out and about.
To be honest, those didn’t really get my creative juices flowing. There was something in the back of my mind saying, alcohol and sharpie, over and over. But I kept thinking, NO! I’ve done that on two different projects already. I’m not doing it again. Well, I lost out to the voice in the back of my head, because, well, see below.
Now that’s more like it! That pinkish/bluish one above is my absolute favorite, by far. I love it. The astrological symbols on the painted rocks have also been floating around in my head for some time and they have finally found a place on these painted rocks. If you google astrological symbol image you’ll find really simple representations of astrological symbols to copy. These would be a great craft to make and sell.
If you need detailed instructions on painting with Sharpies and Alcohol, you can check this post out, but the instructions below will get you through. It’s very simple.
Step 1:
To get that watercolor/dreamy night sky effect on your painted rock, you do want to start with a white background. I tried it without and it just didn’t pop. So, step 1, paint a white background on your rock and allow it to dry. For a while. Trust me. Don’t start using your Sharpies when it’s *almost* dry or they will get white paint on them and you’ll be mad. How do I know? That’s right, I did it. You’re welcome for making all of the mistakes for you first.
Step 2:
Once your background is dry, color it in with Sharpies. I used purple, blue and some green and even yellow for the night sky and the pinkish/bluish one is a couple of different pinks, a couple of different blues, some green, some yellow. Don’t worry, they will be ugly at first. Step 3 will start to change that.
Step 3:
Start dabbing rubbing alcohol on the Sharpie. Use a small paint brush, or even a q tip will work. Don’t do a ton at first, just dab and see how it looks. It’s easier to add more alcohol than add more Sharpie. Let it dry and see what you think? If you need more color, add more Sharpie. If you need more blending, add more rubbing alcohol and dab away.
Step 4:
Once you’re happy with the coloring and the painted rock is totally dry, start embellishing with the gel pens. These pens, you guys, they are so awesome. They go on smooth and they are so saturated with color. I used mostly silver but there are tons of different colors you can use. You are going to love the pens. I promise. For the pinkish/bluish rock, I sort of traced some of the lines of the different colors on the rocks and of course, I used them to draw the astrological symbols.
There are so many reasons I love this craft. It’s relaxing. It’s inexpensive. It’s simple, you can make a bunch in an afternoon. OR you can make one on Friday night with a glass of wine. So you can unwind.
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Give it a try! And don’t forget to pin it!