Skip to content

Top Navigation

Martha Stewart Martha Stewart
  • FOOD
  • HOLIDAYS
  • ENTERTAINING
  • HOME
  • GARDENING
  • CLEANING & ORGANIZING
  • WEDDINGS
  • SHOP
  • DIY
  • BEAUTY & WELLNESS
  • LIFE
  • NEWS
  • MARTHA'S BLOG
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Martha's Blog
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact Us
  • Your Content
  • Logout

More

  • Enter to Win $10,000 to Makeover Your Home!
  • Martha's Blog
  • Weddings
Login
Pin FB

Explore Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart Martha Stewart
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 7 Things to Do in the Morning to Be Healthier and More Productive

      7 Things to Do in the Morning to Be Healthier and More Productive

      Kick-start your day by making habits out of these mood-boosting tips. Read More
    • Should You Refrigerate Bananas?

      Should You Refrigerate Bananas?

      It's one of your favorite fruits, but does it belong on the counter or in the refrigerator? Read More
    • This 3-Ingredient Homemade Weed Killer Uses Vinegar to Safely Remove Pesky Growths from Your Garden

      This 3-Ingredient Homemade Weed Killer Uses Vinegar to Safely Remove Pesky Growths from Your Garden

      A few easy-to-find ingredients are all you need to create a powerful formula that squashes weeds. Read More
  • FOOD

    FOOD

    See All FOOD
    Our 20 Most Popular Recipes for Summer

    Our 20 Most Popular Recipes for Summer

    • Breakfast & Brunch Recipes
    • Lunch Recipes
    • Dinner Recipes
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Drink Recipes
    • Salad Recipes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soup Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Quick & Easy Recipes
    • Vegetarian Recipes
    • Cooking How-Tos
    • Baking
    • Menu Planning
    • Food News & Trends
    • Wine
    • Mastering the Holiday Meal
    • What's for Dinner
    • All Recipes
  • HOLIDAYS

    HOLIDAYS

    See All HOLIDAYS
    The Most Patriotic Flowers for the Fourth of July, According to Symbolism

    The Most Patriotic Flowers for the Fourth of July, According to Symbolism

    Show your love of country by displaying these varieties on America's birthday.
    • Father's Day
    • Fourth of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Hanukkah
    • Christmas
    • New Year's Eve
    • Valentine's Day
    • St. Patricks Day
    • Passover
    • Easter
    • Mother's Day
  • ENTERTAINING

    ENTERTAINING

    See All ENTERTAINING
    How to Start Entertaining Friends and Family More Regularly

    How to Start Entertaining Friends and Family More Regularly

    Make gathering with loved ones a priority.
    • Seasonal Entertaining & Decorating
    • Baby Shower Ideas
    • Dinner Party Ideas
    • You're Invited
  • HOME

    HOME

    See All HOME
    We're Putting Up Walls Again—Is the Open Floor Plan on Its Way Out?

    We're Putting Up Walls Again—Is the Open Floor Plan on Its Way Out?

    We asked the experts to weigh in on this popular home design concept.
    • Home Design & Decor
    • Paint Colors & Palettes
    • DIY Home Projects
    • The Well-Kept Home
  • GARDENING

    GARDENING

    See All GARDENING
    A Month-by-Month Hydrangea Care Guide

    A Month-by-Month Hydrangea Care Guide

    Confused about when to do what to your favorite flowering shrubs? We have you covered.
    • Container Gardening
    • Flower Gardens
    • Houseplants
    • Landscaping
    • Vegetable Gardens
  • CLEANING & ORGANIZING

    CLEANING & ORGANIZING

    How to Wash Pillows

    How to Wash Pillows

    They're an essential element of a comfortable bed, so keep yours fresh and in their best shape ever with these expert-approved tips.
    • Cleaning
    • Storage & Organization
    • Laundry & Linens
  • WEDDINGS

    WEDDINGS

    See All WEDDINGS
    Who Pays for What for the Wedding?

    Who Pays for What for the Wedding?

    Get the traditional rules for who pays for the wedding details.
    • Real Weddings
    • Wedding Party
    • Wedding Planning & Advice
    • Wedding Ceremony & Reception
    • Wedding Jewelry
    • Dresses & Style
    • Wedding Beauty & Wellness
    • Wedding Registry
    • Wedding Showers & Parties
    • Love & Marriage
    • Wedding Travel
  • SHOP
  • DIY

    DIY

    See All DIY
    How to Melt and Reuse the Leftover Wax from Candles

    How to Melt and Reuse the Leftover Wax from Candles

    Our easy melt-and-pour method saves the last bit of this home essential.
    • Dyeing
    • Holiday Crafts
    • Kids' Crafts
    • Knitting
    • Paper Crafts
    • Sewing
    • Rescue & Revamp
  • BEAUTY & WELLNESS

    BEAUTY & WELLNESS

    Can Rice Water Really Encourage Hair Growth?

    Can Rice Water Really Encourage Hair Growth?

    This buzzy ingredient is a star player in many new-age hair care products.
    • Beauty
    • Health & Wellness
    • Live Well
  • LIFE

    LIFE

    See All LIFE
    • Family
    • Pets
    • Travel
    • Net Worth
  • NEWS
  • MARTHA'S BLOG
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Martha's Blog
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact Us
  • Your Content
  • Logout

More

  • Enter to Win $10,000 to Makeover Your Home!
  • Martha's Blog
  • Weddings
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. marthastewart.com
  2. DIY Projects & Crafts
  3. Kids Crafts
  4. These Rock Crafts Are Made to Inspire Creativity in Kids

These Rock Crafts Are Made to Inspire Creativity in Kids

By Bunny Wong Updated November 12, 2019
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
Skip gallery slides
Pin
rock_crafts_main.jpg
Try out your skills as a rock artist. With just a few supplies—paint, glue, and clay—children can transform the stones they stumble across into animals, people, and toys.
Start Slideshow

1 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
rock_crafts_main.jpg

Walk barefoot in your backyard, in a field, or along the beach and an impertinent rock might jab your big toe. Rocks like to have fun, as any kid knows. They're feisty, but they can get away with it because kids love them—they'll be scooped up and admired for their beauty.

A creative way for kids to use the stones they stumble across is to turn them into animals, people, or objects. With just a few supplies—paint, glue, and clay—children can try out their skills as rock artists. Like little sculptors, they'll learn to judge proportion and form. Like painters, they will need to consider color and shape, along with such pleasant dilemmas as how to create a tapered wing on a rounded rock. Both tempera and acrylic paints work well; tempera looks chalkier but washes off easily, making it the best choice for kids. Acrylic paint has a glossy finish. Before painting, kids should sketch out their plan: It's easier to envision what the finished project will look like if they draw it first with pencil on paper. The stones pictured here are as distinctive as people. One is slender; another, dappled and rotund. Family members can paint their initials on the rocks that suit them and turn them into refrigerator magnets. Tiny creatures like ladybugs are made from single stones and a bit of paint, while others, like a turtle, require a little assembly. Ever put a koala in your pocket? Or balanced a puppy on your finger? Whether you fancy friendly pebble puppets or a board game made from river stones, you'll find here a plethora of ideas that are as much fun to make as they are to play with.

Once you teach your kids to do these crafts, beware: You may wake up tomorrow morning to see a curious gray spider dangling inches from your nose. Don't worry—it's just a rock on a string, and a mischievous child at the other end of it.

1 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

How to Design, Build, and Glue Rock Animals

a99348_win06_glueht.jpg

Study the shape and shade of a rock for clues to its inner nature. When you are ready to design, begin by arranging the rocks until the figure looks just right. Glue rocks together before painting them, attaching small stone features such as eyes, feet, or beaks to body parts before joining larger parts (attach tails, if using, after painting). Cement glue makes the strongest bond, but should be used only by grownups working in a well-ventilated area. White glues are safer for children to use, but they are less durable and best used for rock animals that will sit on shelves.

Shop Now: Vigoro Mexican Beach Pebbles, $10.78 for 32 lb., homedepot.com. Duco Cement Multi-Purpose Household Glue, $5 for 1 fl oz., amazon.com. Elmer's Washable School Glue, $1.19 for 4 oz., target.com. Darice Modeling Clay Set, $11.50, amazon.com.

2 of 15

3 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

How to Decorate Rock Animals

a99348_win06_alligatoranim.jpg

While the glue sets, support the animal parts with little cushions of nondrying clay. To make the alligator, cut-up coffee stirrers are glued to the animal's underside for stability and painted to match the stones. The alligator's hungry mouth is partly supported by his pink tongue. Or, turn rocks into wearable accessories: Encourage kids to paint favorite objects, animals, or patterns. Older children can use a tiny brush to create landscapes. Kids who find stones that look like Dad, Mom, and Sis can paint the family likenesses, and make a necklace for each person.

Shop Now: Dixie Coffee Stirrers, $5.29 for 1000, officedepot.com. Martha Stewart Family Friendly Multi-Surface Satin Acrylic Craft Paint, $2.49, michaels.com. Martha Stewart Crafts Detailing Brush Set, $9.39, michaels.com.

3 of 15

Advertisement

4 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Rock Alligator

rock alligator craft for kids
Credit: Stephen Lewis

This alligator is shaped from an oblong body, pebble appendages, and painted-on features like bulbous eyes and jagged white teeth.

4 of 15

5 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Pig Magnet

rock_crafts_grid1.jpg

Flat disks are perfect for magnets, like this little piggy, attached with cement glue.

5 of 15

6 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Stone Seals

a99348ealgrid.jpg

Oblong and misshapen rocks can be turned into shiny circus seals.

6 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Rock Ducks

rock_crafts_grid3.jpg

Contented ducks in this little family each have secure beaks, painted on or attached with glue.

7 of 15

8 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Bunny Bookend

rock_crafts_grid4.jpg

This portly lop-eared rabbit is the perfect weight for a bookend.

8 of 15

9 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Lovely Ladybugs

rock_crafts_grid5.jpg

Ladybugs who lunch are elegantly attired in polka-dots.

9 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Rock Turtle

rock_crafts_grid6.jpg

This lumbering turtle would be happy on a log.

10 of 15

11 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Painted Pandas

rock_crafts_grid7.jpg

This pair of pandas sit calmly by paper bamboo shoots.

11 of 15

12 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Pet Mouse, Pet Rock

rock_crafts_grid8.jpg

When a mouse's tail begins to uncurl, that means he's tired; put him to bed in a fabric-covered matchbox. (Tip: To make a tail, just glue a piece of black cord to the base of a rock.)

12 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Doggy Doorstopper

rock_crafts_grid9.jpg

This friendly spotted stone dachshund guards your child's bedroom—by propping its door open.

13 of 15

14 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Rock Frogs

rock_crafts_grid_frogs.jpg

These frogs are up to no good. They're trying to look nonchalant, but as anyone can see, their heavy-lidded eyes are ready to pop open at the prospect of a fly lunch.

14 of 15

15 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Rock Shark Attack

rock_crafts_grid_shark.jpg

Yikes! Painting a jagged rock has brought to life a hungry shark. Feed him a succulent roast turkey, complete with a painted-on leg bone, to keep him satisfied. Follow it with a juicy three-stone hamburger and a super-sized side of rock fries. Then display him in the bathroom—the family will have to keep a close eye on him when brushing their teeth.

15 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 15
    2 of 15 How to Design, Build, and Glue Rock Animals
    3 of 15 How to Decorate Rock Animals
    4 of 15 Rock Alligator
    5 of 15 Pig Magnet
    6 of 15 Stone Seals
    7 of 15 Rock Ducks
    8 of 15 Bunny Bookend
    9 of 15 Lovely Ladybugs
    10 of 15 Rock Turtle
    11 of 15 Painted Pandas
    12 of 15 Pet Mouse, Pet Rock
    13 of 15 Doggy Doorstopper
    14 of 15 Rock Frogs
    15 of 15 Rock Shark Attack

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Martha Stewart

    Learn More

    • Contact Us
    • Customer Service
    • Media Kit
    • Martha's Blog
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing
    • FAQ
    • Corporate
    • International
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithMartha Stewart is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Martha Stewart. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.marthastewart.com

    Sign in

    View image

    These Rock Crafts Are Made to Inspire Creativity in Kids
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.