5 Rock Painting Ideas for Halloween

Black Cat - What could be easier than painting a cat using a few black lines on an orange, painted stone?

Simple Cat Line Art on a Rock

Ghost Cats - A simple, repetitive design is painted on an orange and black stone.

Repetitive Design on a Stone

Ghost Owl - A stylized owl design using Autumn hues is painted on a white stone.

Stylized Owl Design on a White Rock

Pumpkins & Candy - Round stones make cute, little pumpkins and a triangular shape is perfect for "rock" candy corn.

Pumpkins and Candy Painted Rocks

Ghosts - Triangular rocks which stand upright are transformed into ghostly figures.

Ghostly Painted Stones

Be safe and have fun!

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

He Came Bearing Gifts of Painted Rocks

With the holidays approaching, small painted stones make great gifts and travel well.

My husband took a trip back East to visit family and friends after a 10-year absence. I did not accompany him but wanted to let everyone know I missed them and was thinking of them. A variety of painted stone gifts transported in an egg carton was the perfect solution.

Getting through airline security can be problematic, however, the stones were light enough and the egg carton compact enough to fit in a carry-on bag and go through security with no problem. I wrote "painted stones" on the carton in case questions arose as to the contents.

A plain egg carton transported small painted rocks

At the family get-together, my husband placed the egg carton on a table and surprised the group by opening the lid to expose a painted rock menagerie smiling up at them.

A collection of painted gift rocks

The egg carton was passed around and each family member chose the painted stone they liked best. Some comments about the painted stone gifts sent in my absence were:

• Thank YOU Cindy for the wonderful gift of stones!
• Thanks for sending so many NICE SAMPLES !!!!!
• Thank you so much for my cute gift.

A great gift idea for kids, especially at Halloween or Easter, is painted mystery rocks in an egg carton. Imagine their surprise as they open the carton expecting eggs and see this instead.

Surprise - it's not eggs in that carton

As Cathy A. Malchiodi states in The Soul's Palette: Drawing on Art's Transformative Powers: "It would be indeed revolutionary if each of us could offer one small act of art to another person...a single act that eventually "pays it forward" in ways that often cannot be predicted or planned."


My painted rock gifts were a small act of art kindness which, similar to a stone skipped into a lake, created ever-widening circles of smiles.


© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Do You Need Rock Painting Ideas?

Look what's possible with ordinary rocks and acrylic paint.

Sample of Painted Rocks by Cindy Thomas

Is your garden looking a little dreary because all the flowers have bloomed and gone to seed? A painted rock gnome home would add some color to your garden nestled among the greenery.

Do you need a gift for a friend in the hospital? A basket of hungry baby bird painted rocks are sure to lift their spirits?

Do you want something different to display at the holidays? There are painted rocks for all holiday occasions - Christmas Santas & nativity sets, Halloween ghosts & pumpkins, Valentine's love bugs, and Easter chicks.

Do you want to play a joke on unsuspecting friends? Painting rocks to resemble food will certainly catch them off guard. Please note that small painted rocks may look so yummy that young children will actually try to eat them. PLEASE USE CAUTION with this idea.

Do you need a gift for an animal lover? Rocks can be painted as cats, dogs and other pets as well as wild animals, farm animals, and more.

Once you start painting rocks and stones, you'll discover all sorts of ideas. The only problem will be finding enough time to create all of your masterpieces!

To see more ideas for painted rocks, please visit (and like) my Facebook Fan Page.


© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Stone Cold

It was very hot in southeastern Colorado this summer but I kept cool with my rock painting craft.

One day I was absorbed looking for rocks and picked one up that felt so hot I could have fried an egg on it. OUCH! However, rock art painting turned the stone into a decorative winter house featuring snow on the roof, windows lit with warm light, and a festive wreath on the front door.

My shelves also filled up with ghosts and pumpkins in anticipation of Halloween and the crisp Fall weather.

Halloween Ghosts, Pumpkins, & Candy Corn Painted Rocks

Once the rocks were painted and sealed, I rubbed my hands over the cool, smooth finish. It’s hard to imagine what was once a simple, cold, hard stone, is now a cute, decorative object begging to be touched and displayed.


© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks