Have you gotten into painting kindness rocks yet? I’ve been painting river rocks and seashells for over 20 years. Both art and craft mediums have grown in popularity over the past few years. Artists will often paint rocks and seashells…then leave them at various places that they travel to for other’s to find. Think of it as…paying your kindness forward. Those who enjoy it just as little hobby like to place their painted rocks and shells in the gardens to add color or inside their home as little home decor accents.
Check out our website for FREE painted rock designs and other ideas!
** This post contains affiliate links.
Wash all rocks with warm soapy water using Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. Why Dawn? It does the best job at removing dirt, debris and odors. Rinse with clean water. Lay them out to air dry overnight. They need to be completely dry before you paint on them.
Base coat each rock in your desired color using acrylic craft paint and a brush. I elected to use a bubblegum pink color. I did need to add 2 coats of paint with 45 minutes of drying time between coats to get the coverage that I needed. Let dry until the paint is no longer tacky.
To keep the design work easy….I used a pack of BETEM Acrylic Paint Markers that I purchased from Amazon. They have dual-ended tips (one medium and one fine), don’t require priming, no drippy paint messes and no clogged tips. There’s no foul odor either! I like using them because they dry fairly fast….in less than 30 minutes! One of my favorite brands to use!!!
You can look at my photograph for inspiration. I didn’t use any templates or patterns. Use the medium sized tip to color-in larger areas and the fine tip for smaller areas and to do outline work. Some people only paint one side of their rocks. I like to base coat the entire rock on all sides and do the design work on just one side. That’s entirely up to you. Let the paint dry.
Finishing up… You need to seal the paint one of two ways:
Spray-On Clear Acrylic Sealer – This will need to be used outside. Spray 1-2 light coats of sealer on all sides of the rock. Let dry.
Brush-On Clear Mod Podge Sealer – This can be used inside. It brushes on white but will dry to a crystal clear color. I like using the one with a glossy finish. I use just one coat on each of the rocks. Let dry.
That’s it. You’re done. You can now use your painted rocks inside or outside of the home. Cute little designs any time of the year and absolutely PERFECT for Valentine’s Day.
Leave a Reply