@Home with Maddy
Project article and photographs
by Madeleine M Langlois, MaddyLane Designs
Line a pathway to your front door with painted decorative DIY Halloween rocks. Your children will have ghoulish fun while anticipating the big day creating such creatures as bats, cats, ghosts, skeletons, jack-o’-lanterns, spiders or witches. Go batty with this easy to do project because there are no tricks; they are just a real treat to make. All you will need are assorted rocks, acrylic paints and a zany imagination.
Hands-on time: Less than two hours.
Hands-on time: 2 hours (depending on how many rocks you want to paint)
Total time: plus 3 hours of drying time for the varnish; acrylics dry in just 20 minutes.
Skill: Super easy, and children-friendly.
Cost estimate: Less than a dollar per rock.
Materials & tools:
* Rocks in various shapes and sizes (from your backyard, a nature walk, also available at garden centers)
* Acrylic craft paints in assorted Halloween colours
* Craft paintbrushes in assorted sizes
* Pencil and Halloween motif or stencils
* Graphite transfer paper in white or black (makes it easier to see transferred motifs on black paint, or white paint)
* Exterior varnish, spray or brush-on
Cover your work area with newspapers. Make sure your rocks are clean. Wash them if needed, pat or let dry. Apply 1 to 2 coats of acrylic craft paint as a base coat on each rock. Use black, white, or grey depending on the design you are painting on the rock. Let dry between each coat. Acrylics dry in just 20 minutes.
Make sure your rocks are clean. Wash them if needed, pat or let dry. Apply 1 to 2 coats of acrylic craft paint as a base coat on each rock. Use black, white, or grey depending on the design you are painting on the rock. Let dry between each coat. Acrylics dry in just 20 minutes.
Once the base coat is dry, draw various Halloween designs or text on the rocks with a pencil, or trace designs on the rocks using graphite transfer paper (they are available in assorted colours). Use fine paintbrushes to paint in each subject or design with acrylic craft paints in assorted Halloween colours, and allow to dry.
Once dry, apply at least 2 coats of exterior varnish (let dry between each coat). You are now ready to decorate your home in a rocking way.
Tips: To produce nifty special effects on your rock creations try using acrylic dimensional paints like puff paints, glow in the dark or fluorescent paints. Rubber stamps with Halloween designs can also be used to simplify the project even more.
Variations: Decorative Halloween rocks can also be used to spookily decorate a candy bowl, place around a punch bowl at a party, and along indoor or outdoor stairs. If you’re having a dinner party paint (or write using a gold or silver pen or marker) your guests’ names on each rock and use as place name settings. To add extra spook adorn your rock montage with creepy bugs, spider webs, leaves and even slime. Place painted rocks in a black tray around creepy candles for an eerie center piece.
I'm making little Diy Halloween rock kits to give to some of my neighbours kids instead of candy. Something fun for them to do, plus they will last longer than candy!
Have a fun and safe Halloween!
Copyright maddylane designs 2020
photos, text by maddylane designs
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