A few weeks ago the family went for a nice long walk down along the river. While we were on our walk we found some large, smooth river walks and collected a few to bring back home. I knew right away when we found them that they would be great rocks for the garden!
Last week while the Princess was visiting we got out a few of those rocks and got busy painting them. We turned 4 of them into Ladybug Garden Rocks and here is how we made them. Looking to make them out of large seashells? We’ve got our craft project & directions on how to make the Ladybugs out of Seashells too right here on the blog!
Kid’s Craft Project – Ladybug Garden Rocks
Smooth, Large River Rocks
Red, Black and White Acrylic Paint
Paint Brush
Modge Podge Glossy Clear Outdoor Sealer
Foam Paint Brush
Newspaper
Lay newspaper down on your work surface. Have the kids paint the entire rock with red acrylic paint. Let the first side dry for 30 minutes and then flip it over, paint the other side and let dry for another 30 minutes.
With black paint…let them paint a head on the narrow end of the oval-shaped rock, a black stripe down the ladybug’s pack and black polka dots for her spots. Let dry for 30 minutes.
Using white acrylic paint let them paint the ladybug’s eyes; let dry. Using the end of their paint brush…dip it into black acrylic paint and add the inside of the eyes. Use a toothpick dipped into white acrylic paint for the pupil. Let dry in between coats for 15-30 minutes.
Once the rock is completely dry….dip a foam paint brush into Modge Podge Clear Glossy Finish Outdoor Sealer. Coat the entire rock…front to back and side to side with the sealer. Let dry for 1 hour. If needed, repeat and let dry overnight. The rocks they are weatherproof and can go outside into the garden!
* Sorry for the slightly blurry photo. It was getting ready to storm so I was in a hurry to get a photo before the Princess took all of her new ladybug rocks home!
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These are so adorable. Rock painting is so much fun. My kids always love creating new animals and decorating our garden.
This would be a fun project to do with my granddaughter as she gets older
What a cute craft idea! I can just imagine my granddaughter getting into this. I see blue and purple lady bugs, too. 🙂 Nice tips on making the eyes. Thanks.
What a cute craft project. I can just imagine a garden having a bunch of these rocks scattered about. Thank you for sharing this post.
I already enjoyed reading the similar post on Passionate about Crafting. I like,the tip you have here about the toothpick for painting the pupils. Which sealer do you find works better, the spray or the one you brush on?
Either sealer will work. The spray on is definitely quicker and gives a nicer more even finish. The brush-on is nice too because you can give it several nice thicker coats to really protect them. We leave our’s out all year long.
Love it! I’m always picking up interesting rocks, and here on the bay, there are a lot of nice rocks worn smooth by the water. I didn’t know Mod Podge made an outdoor-safe version of their product, but will definitely pick some up, along with some paints. Thanks for the idea!
Hi Anne,
Yup, they make one for your outdoor projects too! We’ve been making all kinds of things and I will be sharing several of our projects here on the blog.
Princess and I are working on other designs. We painted some solid oval shaped river rocks that look like eggs into Easter Eggs. Will feature that project after the first of the year. We are also painting clam shells & other things. Look for those in a few weeks.
I will keep this in mind for a project when my little grand is old enough. Very cute!
We did this for my granddaughters birthday party and it was a big hit with all the kids. It kept them occupied doing the craft and then they were able to take it home. Fun for all.
This is great. We are will make these at our birthday party this weekend. The little girls will love it.
Oddly enough I have a catt rock also- although I dont keep it outside since a friend who made it is gone now and I dont want to ruin it. I do love the ladybuhs and they ook easy to do. The tough part would be finding a nice round flat rock!
Too Cute! I have a rock that is painted like a cat. It is sweet too. Your ladybug is a great garden piece and a perfect craft project for the kids!