Website for Everything Cindy Painted Rocks

It occurred to me I needed a "hub" to make it easier for you to quickly find my rock painting information.

So, I created...
 

www.CindyPaintedRocks.com

From this "hub" site you can easily get to my:

• Rock painting blog where I share rock painting tips, ideas, and inspiration
• Facebook page where you can see my current painted rock projects and interact with myself and others in "real time"
• Pinterest boards where I collect rock painting ideas and share rocks painted by myself and others
• Flikr gallery where I regularly add photos of the rocks I've painted
• He is my Rock where you can learn about the unique nativity sets, scenes and figures I paint on rocks and stones
• Online store where you can purchase my hand-painted rocks and stones

 

Go to CindyPaintedRocks.com and bookmark the site so you can quickly and easily:

• Find new rock painting ideas and inspiration
• Read more about me and how rock painting has changed my life and affects me daily
• Contact me

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

St. Andrew Art Show/Auction Features Nativity Scene Figures Painted on Rocks

St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic School in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania will be holding their annual Spring fundraiser "The Raising of the Green" on Saturday, April 27, 2013.

This nativity set painted on decorative stones will be part of the art show/auction.

Painted Rock Nativity Set

The Raising of the Green art show/auction will benefit the children at Saint Andrew the Apostle School.

The auction will be held at the School Hall on the Saint Andrew School campus in Waynesboro, PA on Saturday, April 27, 2013 at six o’clock in the evening.

Treat yourself and enjoy live classical cello and mandolin duo and hors d’oeuvres.

Live art auction and auction preview open to all: advance entrance fee is $10 per person, or $20 at the door.

Tickets are available online or at the school, 213 East Main Street, Waynesboro.

Preview other artwork included in the art show/auction and/or visit St. Andrew's Facebook page.


© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Painted Rock Nativity Sets - A Collection of Year-Round Display Ideas

Painted rock nativity sets aren't just for Christmas.

My Inspiration - Marquita's Display

*  *  *

There are many ways to display painted rock nativity sets year round and during the holidays to express your unique style.

Simply place the nativity scene figures in a bookcase or on one of your tables.

Easy Year-Round Display Idea

I would advise against placing heavy rocks in a high spot. If they get knocked over they could cause injury or damage.

*  *  *

Natural Displays

Here's how to display painted rock nativity scene figures year round using natural elements such as a piece of slate, wooden bowl or plate, and decorative stones.
 

Painted Rock Nativity Sets Displayed Using Natural Elements

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Candle Accessories Displays

Here's how you can display your unique, painted rock nativity scene figures year-round using candle accessories and glass gems. 

Painted Rock Nativity Sets Displayed Using Candle Accessories

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Charger Plate Displays

Place the nativity set on a metal or plastic plate and surround with greenery, glass gems, or polished river stones.

Customize this display to fit your decor with plate color choice, foliage type, gems, or rocks.

*  *  *

Christmas Displays

Use an existing nativity stable and place the nativity scene figures inside.

Painted Rock Nativity Set in a Traditional Display

I found this stable at my local craft store (Hobby Lobby). Stables come in many sizes and you should be able to find one at craft or general merchandise stores

*  *  *

Use an existing nativity stable and animals that came with the set.

Traditional Nativity Display with Animals

Store-bought nativity sets (stable and figures) come in many different sizes and are readily available. You can decide which pieces from the nativity set to combine with your painted rock nativity scene figures. 

*  *  *

Make your own stable using balsa wood, bark, and moss.

If you want to keep a natural or hand-made theme, a simple stable can be constructed with balsa wood, moss, and bark. This rustic display would be charming in a cozy mountain cabin.

*  *  * 

Make your own stable using a wooden key caddy.

 
Learn how I made this nativity stable from a wooden key caddy.

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Outdoor Display

These edgestone paver nativity scene figures are sealed to withstand the outdoor elements. 

Outdoor Pavestone Nativity Scene Figures

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Painted rock nativity sets are a unique and versatile addition to your home decor any time of the year.

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Painted Rock Nativity Sets - Ready for Spring

The joy of Spring and Easter is in the air and I was drawn to the yummy, pastel acrylic hues of "Basil Green" and "Summer Peach" for my latest unique nativity sets painted on rocks.

"Basil Green" and "Summer Peach" Acrylic Paint Purchased at Hobby Lobby

I was anxious to try these beautiful colors, so I primed some stones and went to work painting them.

Primed stones awaiting pastel paint

Here are my two latest nativity set creations using "lightweight" colors rather than the blues and browns I normally paint with.

Painted Rock Nativity Scene Figures Ready for Spring

Painted Stone Nativity Scene Figures in Spring Attire

Remember, painted rock nativity sets aren't just for Christmas. They can be displayed in unique ways year round as a piece of art.

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Year-Round Display for Painted Rock Nativity Sets Using Candle Accessories

You've learned easy and natural ways to display nativity sets painted on rocks.

Now, you'll see how to use candle accessories for displaying your unique painted rock nativity scene figures year round. 

You'll need:

• Metal, glass or ceramic candle plates or dishes or
• Candle holders and
• Glass gems

Tiny Painted Rock Nativity Set Displayed on a Small Candle Dish

Tip 1: Look around your home. You may already have candle dishes, plates and holders that you can use.

Tip 2: Choose glass gems in colors that blend with your decor or the the painted rock nativity figures. Glass gems can be found at craft stores (e.g., Hobby Lobby) usually in the floral department.

Tip 3: It helps to place the Mary and Joseph nativity figures on the plate first and then surround them with the glass gems. Baby Jesus can sit atop the glass gems.

Tip 4: For inexpensive display ideas, visit your local thrift store, dollar store or garage sales.

Here are four more ideas using candle accessories, glass gems and painted rock nativity scene figures.

The Tiny Nativity Set is Replaced with a Small Nativity Set

Red, Metal Candle Plate with Glass Gems and Tiny Nativity Set

 

Round, Glass Candle Dish Used with the Tiny Nativity Set

Tiny Nativity Set Sits Atop Glass Gems in a Frosted Glass Candle Holder

The possibilities are endless for creating a year-round, nativity set display to fit your unique home decor style using candle accessories and glass beads. 

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Year-Round Display for Painted Rock Nativity Sets Using Natural Elements

You learned the simple and easy way to display your painted rock nativity set.

Here's how to display painted rock nativity scene figures year round using natural elements such as a:

• Piece of slate
• Wooden bowl or plate

Idea 1: You'll need a piece of slate which has flat areas to accommodate all three nativity scene figures. Clean and dry the slate and place the painted nativity rocks on top. You now have a natural, easy, simple way to display your nativity set year round.

Piece of Slate Used for a Natural Nativity Set Display

Idea 2: You'll need a wooden bowl or plate

Wooden salad bowl and charger plate

Fill the bowl with smooth stones and add the nativity figures...

Wooden Bowl + Smooth Stones + Painted Rock Nativity = Natural Display

...or fill the plate loosely with smooth stones...

...rearrange the stones around the larger, Mary and Joseph nativity figures so they are sitting directly on the plate. Add the Baby Jesus nativity figure on top of the stones. 

Wooden Plate + Smooth Stones + Painted Rock Nativity = Natural Display

Up next: Year-round, painted rock nativity set displays using candle accessories.

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Easy, Year-Round Display for Painted Rock Nativity Sets

Christmas is over and you're saddened because the holiday decor is headed back to the closet.

Painted rock nativities can be left out year round because of their unique quality. It's more than a holiday decoration; it's a piece of art.

The easiest way to display your painted rock nativity set...

...simply place it in a bookcase or on a table.

Painted Rock Nativity Set Displayed in a Bookcase

These medium-sized painted rock nativity scene figures fit nicely with the colorful vase and ornate picture frame. The paint colors of this particular nativity set also blend well with the vase and the encyclopedia.

Why not keep the spirit of Christmas alive all year long. 

Coming next: Natural display ideas for nativity sets painted on rocks.

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Painted Rock Nativity Sets - An Alternative to Traditional Christmas Decor

Nativity scene figures hand painted on Colorado river rocks and stones are an unusual yet appealing alternative to traditional Christmas nativity decor and a charming addition to a Creche collection.

He is my Rock Nativity Sets

For a delightful and distinctive conversation piece, try something new and out of the ordinary by replacing the figurines in your traditional nativity set with nativity scene figures that are uniquely painted on rocks.

 

Newly completed, painted rock nativities ranging in size from tiny, small, medium to large are available in the Nativity Shop.

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

How to Display Painted Rock Nativities in a Traditional Way

In earlier posts I showed you how to display painted rock nativity sets in a simple way using a charger plate with greenery, stones, or glass gems.

Painted rock nativity scene figures can also be displayed in traditional Christmas nativity stables.

*  *  *

 

You can use an existing nativity stable and place the nativity scene figures inside.

Painted Rock Nativity Scene Figures in a Store-Bought Stable

I found this stable at my local craft store (Hobby Lobby). Stables come in many sizes and you should be able to find one at craft or general merchandise stores.

*  *  *

You can use an existing nativity stable along with the animals that came with the set.

Painted Rock Nativity Set with Store-Bought Animal Figures

Store-bought nativity sets (stable and figures) come in many different sizes and are readily available. You can decide which pieces from the nativity set to combine with your painted rock nativity scene figures.

*  *  *

 

Just remember to take into account the size of your painted rock nativity figures. You'll want them to fit nicely in the stable.

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Glass Gems and Charger Plate Nativity Set Display Idea

This is another simple solution for a Christmas holiday nativity display.

Use glass vase gems with a charger plate...

...and a painted rock nativity set.

Painted Rock Nativity Set

Steps:

1. Position the Mary and Joseph nativity scene figures on an empty charger plate
2. Scatter the glass gems around Mary and Joseph
3. Set the Baby Jesus painted rock on top of the glass gems

Tips:

• Glass vase gems can be found in the floral department of craft stores, some dollar discount stores, online, etc.
• Glass vase gems are available in many different colors which you can coordinate with your nativity set and plate
• You can find charger plates online, at department stores and sometimes at thrift and dollar stores
• Gold, green, silver and red charger plates work well for Christmas holiday displays 

You can see an idea using a charger plate with fake greenery instead of glass gems on this post. 

You can see an idea using a charger plate with polished stones on this post. 

Create your own customized nativity scene display with any of these easy ideas.

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Unique Display Idea Using a Painted Rock Nativity Set, Charger Plate and Stones

Instead of using a bulky stable that sheds pieces of moss and hay, try this simple solution for your Christmas holiday nativity display.

This easy idea uses polished river rocks...

...with a round charger plate...

...and a painted rock nativity set.

Joseph, Mary, Jesus Painted Rock Nativity Scene Figures

Steps:

1. Position the Mary and Joseph nativity scene figures on an empty charger plate
2. Scatter the river stones around Mary and Joseph
3. Set the Baby Jesus painted rock on top of the stones

Unique, Customized Nativity Set Display

Tips:

• River stones can be found in the floral department of craft stores, some dollar discount stores, online, etc.
• River rocks are available in different colors which you can coordinate with your nativity set and plate
• You can find charger plates online, at department stores and sometimes at thrift and dollar stores
• Gold, green, silver and red charger plates work well for Christmas holiday displays 

You can see a similar idea using a charger plate with fake greenery instead of stones on this post.

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Unique Display Idea for Painted Rock Nativity Sets - A Red Charger Plate

Are you looking for a simple, economical way to display your painted rock nativity set for the holidays? 

This idea couldn't be simpler and, unlike traditional nativity stables, it's easily moved from a coffee table to a dining table.

Supplies Needed:

• Jesus, Mary & Joseph painted rock nativity scene figures
• Charger plate
• Fake greenery - poinsettias, holly, pine, etc.

I used a shiny, red, plastic (Melamine) charger plate. Plastic is a perfect choice for use with painted rocks to lessen any chance of plate breakage.

A shiny, red, plastic, charger plate

Tip: You can find inexpensive charger plates at thrift stores and dollar discount stores. Silver, gold, and green are good color choices also.


Place your painted rock nativity set on the plate and arrange the greenery of your choice around the nativity scene figures.

A pretty way to display your painted rock nativity set

Tip: If you have holiday floral decorations that have seen better days, remove a few of the nicer pieces and use them for your nativity set plate display. 


There you go - a simple, unique, festive, inexpensive idea for displaying painted rock nativity sets.

Display the nativity in a way which is uniquely you depending on the plate and greenery you select. 

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

How to Paint Unique, Outdoor Nativity Sets on Garden Pavestones

An outdoor nativity set painted on garden pavers is a great gift idea but there's a problem - packing and shipping to out-of-town recipients is difficult and pricey.

Outdoor nativity set painted on garden pavers, brick and rock

The solution: I created a downloadable guide (in PDF format) explaining and illustrating how to paint these outdoor nativity scene figures and brick manger.

How to Paint Nativities on Pavestones PDF Guide

The following sample page from the tutorial shows the type of garden edgestones and paver brick I used along with the rock shape & size which works best for Baby Jesus.

Sample page from the PDF how-to guide

Included in my 40-page tutorial:

• a materials and supplies list
• paint and brush tips
• rock painting tips and helps
• easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions with photos
• ideas for more nativity sets using garden pavestones

Get your copy of 

"How to Paint a Nativity Set on Pavestones" 

Christmas will be here soon!

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Unique Painted Rock Nativity Sets

Another category of my painted rocks that can be found online is Unique Painted Rock Nativity Sets. This online gallery of painted rock nativities contains sets I've painted over the years.


The nativity set pictured below is my most recent addition to the gallery of painted rock nativity figures. Mary, Baby Jesus, and Joseph have been painted on geometric-shaped rocks. Mary is painted on a round river rock, Joseph is painted on a triangular rock, and Baby Jesus is painted on an oval stone.

Click here for other views of this one-of-a-kind nativity set

My online gallery of nativity sets visually illustrates how various rock sizes and shapes were used to create nativity sets and figures with unique characteristics. I always enjoy watching the Holy Family come to life as I add paint colors and features to each river rock.


© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks 

Collectors Acquire Many Unique Nativity Sets

One collector has 70, another has over 600, but the largest collection totals 2,200!

As reported by Kyle Munson on DesMoinesRegister.com on December 3, 2011, It’s unlikely that anybody else in the world, owns as many Nativity sets as Michael Zahs of Washington County, Iowa: 2,200 at last count.

One is carved from the back-leg bones of beef cattle. Another Nativity is forged from square nails. Zahs crafted one himself by bending and twisting barbed wire. In yet another favorite Nativity, Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus were carved out of oak beams from the historian’s great-grandfather Zahs’ barn, set within a stable of intertwined raspberry twigs.

“If you don’t have a story for it, does it get pitched?” Mr. Munson's photojournalist colleague, Mary Chind, asked while sorting through Nativity sets. “Usually you can find a story for it,” Zahs says.

To read more about Mr. Zahs and his quest to ensure that the story of how Iowans have made Christmas their own is preserved in the 21st century click here.

WIFR.com reported on December 4, 2011, that another Midwest collector displayed 750 nativity scenes that he's collected over 30 years at the United Brethren Church in Rockford, Illinois. A short video of this collector's story can be found here.

Even my hometown of Pueblo, Colorado has joined in the nativity festivities; one of the local Methodist churches just launched their inaugural Creche festival.

Loretta Sword reported in the Pueblo Chieftain on December 3, 2011, that at least 70 creches of all description, and that many more Christmas ornaments depicting nativity scenes, would be on display at the church. The collection acquired over a span of 50 years is a mix of nativities from secondhand shops, church socials, catalogs, Christian bookstores, and gifts from friends and family. They range from the delicate and artful to the quirky and even comical. To read about the Pueblo, Colorado collection, click here.

I didn't realize that collecting nativity sets and scenes was such a popular hobby. Perhaps these collectors will add to their collection with a one-of-a-kind, hand-painted rock nativity set lovingly crafted in Pueblo, Colorado.

Three unique, one-of-a-kind painted rock nativity sets

 © Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Updated "He is my Rock" Nativity Set Website

I've been working on the expansion and update of the "He is my Rock" website featuring my unique, hand-painted rock nativity set figures. The updated site includes information about the history of the nativity scene, facts about the biblical nativity story, how my nativity sets are made, a nativity resource page and more.

My updated website has a new address, too. It's www.uniquenativitysets.com. For a short while www.he-is-my-rock.com will be available but I urge you to check out the new site. I think you'll find it much more informative and enjoyable.

He is my Rock - Unique Nativity Sets Painted on Rocks

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Traditional Christmas Gift Nativity Set

I wanted to make my own stable to accompany the hand-painted rock nativity sets that I've been painting as Christmas gifts.

On a recent trip to my local craft store, I found an object in the unpainted wood department I used as a stable for my painted rock nativity. 

Here are the steps I followed to create my own nativity stable:

1. The unpainted, wooden letter/key caddy was rotated so that the arched back now became the stable's floor
2. Brown acrylic paint mixed with water was applied to the unfinished wood with a rag, followed by a coat of gloss sealer
3. Thin wood chips were glued along the front sides of the rotated caddy
4. Thicker wood chips were glued to the top of the rotated caddy to embellish the roof of the stable
5. A thin layer of glue was painted on the floor of the stable and natural moss was then attached
6. A large wooden star was painted silver; gold glitter paint was added for highlighting
7. The star was attached to a slim wooden stick and glued to the back of the stable

The before and after picture shows the finished stable. Note that the rounded back of the unpainted letter/key caddy became the floor for the stable.

For another variation of the DIY stable, I removed the star and used a Mother and Child painted rock.

This DIY stable was made using a small wooden letter/key caddy. The craft store also carried a larger caddy that would be suitable for displaying larger or additional nativity scene figures painted on rocks.

Now my painted nativity rocks have gone from being a traditional Christmas gift to a traditional Christmas nativity scene.

See more nativity set display ideas. 


© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

No Room at the Inn

I've had a difficult time finding stables to use with my hand-painted rock nativity sets. Most times, I could only find complete nativity sets which included the figures along with a stable. Hobby Lobby, a wonderful craft store, does sell separate stables but they are quite pricey.

I've often mentioned to friends and family how much I like Wal-Mart because I always find what I'm looking for at a price I'm comfortable paying. Wal-Mart did not let me down in my search for a stable to use with my hand-painted rock art nativity figures. For one-third the cost of Hobby Lobby's version, Wal-Mart came through with a larger yet simpler stable for my needs.

Thanks to Wal-Mart, my hand-painted rock art nativity figures won't be left out in the cold.

Painted Rock Nativity Figures in Store-Bought Manger Scene Stable

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Holiday Cheer

In anticipation of the Christmas season, my rock art painting has included Santa faces, nativity sets, and snow-covered houses.

The nativity rocks have been so well received, that I now have a website to showcase and purchase them - http://www.uniquenativitysets.com

The most difficult part of painting rock nativity sets is finding rocks with the correct shape and proportion. Animals such as sheep and cows are also rock art paintings that will accompany some nativity scenes.

These rock art paintings are a great religious gift for friends and family and can be used with the recipient's existing stable.

Here's a short video of rocks being transformed into a nativity set.

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks