Before & After Painted Rocks and Stones: Machines

Cold, hard machines warm your heart and bring a smile to your face when they're painted on rocks and stones.

The curved shape of this stone reminded me of an IBM Selectric typewriter I used years ago. This small stone had an angled, flat front which was a perfect surface for painting typewriter keys. I painted a manual typewriter because the features seemed more charming and recognizable than the Selectric's.

The shape of this angular rock said "adding machine" even before it was painted. The numerical display panel features the year I painted this office machine.

This large, rounded stone was perfect for a car. Can you see the tire on the front, lower left of the unpainted stone? 

As you can see, more than critters and flowers can be painted on rocks and stones. 

See more before and after painted rocks:

• Various
• Beatles
• Garden Critters
• Furry Pets 
• Wild Animals  
• Things with Wings
• Christmas Holiday

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

How to Personalize a Painted Rock Car

You can personalize a painted car rock with:

• Paint color
• Details of headlights, rear lights, rims, etc.
• License plate
• Passengers

Here's how I personalized a painted rock car for a Father's Day gift. (I already had a car-shaped rock on hand.)

First I gathered photos of the actual car model I wanted to paint on the rock which helped me choose the correct paint color and other identifying details.

I did not try to paint the car front exactly. Instead I chose a few simple details from my photo.

I referred to my photos to paint the rims.

I further personalized the auto with the rear lights and license plate. You can get very personal with the license plate by using names, vanity plate phrase, etc.

I took the personalization even further by adding a family of passengers on one side of the car. I just Mod Podged photo printouts onto the painted rock. (The tricky part was making sure the photos were the right size for the car.)

Ideas

• Paint a school bus full of classmates
• Paint a truck and add a photo for the driver
• Paint a train full of passengers

These personalized, painted rock cars are a great gift idea not only for Father's Day but for any boy (or girl) who loves vehicles. It's also a unique, one-of-a-kind permanent "frame" for favorite photos.

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My first painted rock car was a lot more fun than I expected because of the personalized details.

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks