DIY Craft Paint Storage Idea

My craft paint carousel worked well for a time, however, the weight of the paint, brushes, sealers, etc. has now made this storage solution wobbly.

My current paint storage solution - a wobbly carousel

Here's a clever idea for storing craft paint so it's easy to see and grab the desired color.

How to Organize Craft Paint on a Cabinet Door

For around $30 you can make this handy craft paint storage project.

Click here for the tutorial.

Now that I've seen this DIY storage idea, I'm motivated to try something similar to get my craft paints organized and easy to grab for my rock painting.  

Free Rock Painting Lesson - Simple Owls

Painted owl rocks are very popular and this easy, free project has unlimited possibilities.

I painted this owl in 10 minutes using this tutorial.

My painted rock owl

I used 3-D fabric paint for the whites of the owl's eyes

Metallic purple & silver craft paint was used for this owl

Other ideas for painting these rock owls:

• vary the colors
• outline the feathers and body with black or a darker color
• fill in the beak with yellow
• instead of circles on the chest, try another design
• vary the size of the eyes
• attach magnets to small stones

My owl variations

This project is simple enough for children and beginning rock painters and is a great idea when you need quick, home-made painted rock gifts.


© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

How to Keep Your Garden Colorful Year Round with Painted Pavestones

A chill is in the air and soon the garden will be bare. Brightly painted, round pavestones will keep your garden colorful all year.

Painted round pavers peek through the greenery in the Summer

Painted round pavers brighten the garden in Autumn & Winter

Side-by-side comparison

Keep your garden colorful all year with painted pavestones or rocks. Just remember to apply an acrylic or polyurethane sealer to protect the colors from the harsh, outdoor elements.


© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Rock Painting Ideas Are All Around Us

Ideas and inspiration for painting rocks can be found in unexpected places.

Recently I took a day trip to Colorado Springs and while window shopping came across a shop which featured Mexican art crafts.

Bear Cave Imports, Colorado Springs, CO

The bright colors of the painted ceramic animals, pottery, wall hangings, dishes, light fixtures and tiles spoke to my artist's heart and drew me into the store. Inspiration called to me from every direction.

I want to paint a simple sun/moon face on either a rock or round pavestone and I found this hand-painted tile I could use for inspiration.

My inspiration for painting a sun/moon face

After purchasing my single tile, I realized Mexican ceramics would be a helpful resource for new color combinations and painting ideas because I love bright colors.

If you're unable to visit a Mexican pottery store in person, Talavera Ceramics is a great website for inspiration. I especially like the Tiles and Animals & Suns pages.

Talavera Ceramics

You can also click here to see more brightly colored Mexican hand-painted ceramics to use for rock painting ideas and inspiration.

If you keep your artist's eyes open to what speaks to your heart, ideas for painted rocks can be found all around you.


© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Another Idea for a Painted Rock Hedgehog

My July 23, 2012 post described how I used wild rice for a painted rock hedgehog's quills.

Another idea is to use pine needles for the quills.


Brush a generous amount of tacky glue around the middle of the rock and press dry pine needles in it. The needles should point toward the tail of the hedgehog. Glue a second row of needles in front of the first, leaving a blank space for painting on the face.

Holiday Gifts of Painted Rocks

The holidays are quickly approaching and here's a simple idea for unique, one-of-a-kind ornaments and gifts.

By adding a pretty ribbon to those small painted stones and rocks you've been painting, you've now converted your painted stone into a holiday ornament for tree-trimming or a small present for gift giving.

 Santa face painted rocks transformed into ornaments

Nativity set Baby Jesus transformed into a tree ornament

I've used holiday-themed painted rocks for my ornaments, however, any small painted stones would be a great gift ornament for someone.
 
Just glue the ribbon to the back of the stone. To make it look more finished, you can cover the spot where the ribbon is attached with fabric or wrapping paper and Mod Podge it.


Remember to keep the weight of the stone in mind when choosing to convert them into ornaments. You don't want the tree to topple over.


© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks