How to Paint a Stone-Clothespin Alligator Critter

Here's a fun, easy project for young and old alike using two common items - a clothespin and a stone.

Supplies Needed:

• Wooden clothespin
• Wedge-shaped stone
• Acrylic paint - dark green, light green, pink, white, black, yellow
• Glue

Instructions:

Look for a stone that has a shape resembling an alligator's head.

Paint the clothespin and stone dark green, leaving the teeth portion unpainted.

Paint the teeth portion of the clothespin white on both sides of the clothespin.

Paint the mouth area pink. (You'll need to hold the clothespin open while the paint dries, otherwise the top and bottom will stick together.)

Using a light green shade, paint 2 rows of arcs along the top of the clothespin. (You can mix a little white or yellow with the dark green color you used for the body to get a lighter green color.)

Mix a little black paint with the green color used for the body to get a very dark green shade. Use this color to fill in the area beneath each light green arc.

Outline each tooth on both sides of the clothespin with black paint. (You can also omit this step.)

Paint two nostrils and eyes using black paint.

Using a light green shade, paint eyelids over each eye and add a curved line on each side of the head from the nostril up to the eye.

Fill in the eye area with yellow or gold paint.

You can stop painting the head here, or add more detail by outlining each nostril and eye with white paint and adding a dot of white in the pupil.

Glue the painted stone head onto the tip of the clothespin. (I used E6000 glue to attach the head to the clothespin.)

You did it!

Ideas

• Attach a magnet to the bottom of the clothespin to make a refrigerator magnet to hold artwork, lists, etc.

• In the kitchen, use the stone-alligator clothespin as a fun, inexpensive way to close up bags to keep food fresher longer

• Use the stone-alligator clothespin to keep stacks of papers together if you're out of binder clips. It's a great gift for teachers, office workers or anyone with a cluttered desk

• Create other stone-clothespin critters with large teeth, e.g., sharks, dinosaurs, etc.

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks