Pumpkins Rock!

Items needed:
Rocks (from your yard)
Base Coat Paint (white spray paint, light colored indoor wall paint, really thick craft paint…)
Orange Craft Paint (it you’re really slick-you might have orange spray paint lying around
from another project)
Medium Paint Brush
Black Sharpie Marker
Green Crepe Paper Roll (or yard twigs)
White Glue

I collected 8 small rocks from my yard. And yes, I carefully picked them for just the right look. I’m weird like that. I washed and let them air dry. Starting with the two smallest rocks I began to paint without an undercoat (silly me, I really should know better). I wanted this project to be quick…..well without a base coat they needed 5 or 6 full coats. That’s just nuts. I had white spray paint, so I used it, and boy it makes quite an improvement. I only needed 2 or 3 coats of orange then. Very easy project, but does take time to dry between coats. So I put them on a cookie tray with a large baggie under them to protect the tray, and placed it on my coffee table. This way I could paint during the TV breaks I took over the day. I left two white rocks for my little buddy to paint when came over the next morning.


Next morning Jake came over and loved the idea of doing some painting with Nana. This 3 year old did a great job and was concerned about covering the rock well. An hour later I took out the Black Sharpie and let him watch me draw on the 8 little pumpkin faces. He especially liked the smallest one because it had a different smile then the rest. Green crepe paper for the stems. I took a 3 inch piece of streamer and folded it in half. Holding with my left hand the folded edge toward my palm, I then twisted it tight from the open torn end down towards the folded end. Stop twisting a little shorter than getting all the way to the end. It creates a little base to glue down at. OR, break off some dried stems from around the yard and glue them on the rock pumpkins, or raffia, you can see where this is going. I just really wanted this project to be a cost free effort. And I love these little guys! I placed them around my rock garden and the pathway lights and few on the porch railing. I already know I need more.


Victoria Swanson