Rock Painting 101 – How to Get Started Painting Rocks

This is our Rock Painting 101 resource, all things associated with getting started with rock painting. Here at Ruffles and Rain Boots, we’ve jumped on the rock painting trend with fervor!

Whether it’s rock painting or painted pebbles you’re interested in, this is such a fun family activity.

My daughter and I both like coming up with designs and working together on them at the dining room table. It’s a wonderful activity to spend time with kids.

Rock Painting Starter Kit and How to Get Started Rock Painting for Beginners #rockpainting #crafty #painting #kidcrafts #kbn

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Rock Painting Starter Kit

You’ve probably got everything you need to get started painting rocks. Below are a few of the supplies we use over and over, no matter the project.

Be sure to grab some cute clipart for easy story stones, too. Using clipart makes it so fun and even very small kids can do it.

Tips and Tricks

  • You don’t need a base coat on every rock.
  • If you have a very porous rock, a base coat would be a good idea.
  • Use a smaller brush than you think you’ll need, other than for base coats.
  • When adding clay pieces to a rock, fit them tightly but make sure you can get them off without much warping. The pieces will get slightly smaller after you bake them.
  • Experiment!
  • Make a rock stand and save yourself a lot of trouble ;)

Mistakes and How to Fix Them and Rock Painting Tips

  • If you make a mistake with acrylic paint while rock painting, let it dry and then lightly scratch it off.
  • Paint over them – almost anything can be covered.
  • You can use nail polish remover if you have a single layer of paint to remove.
  • When the paint won’t cover, wipe it off and paint it white. Then, cover with the color you desire.
  • Use outlines to cover small mistakes and make the really colors pop.

Rock Painting Video Tutorials

From animals to amazing gems, we’re sharing all of our videos in one place. Note: not all projects have a video.

I’m a visual learner and if you are, too, click here for a ton of rock painting video tutorials.

Rock Painting 101: Project Ideas

Character Rock Painting Ideas

From Harry Potter to the heroes of Star Wars, here are some of our favorite character rock painting tutorials:

Animal Rock Painting Ideas

You can see all of our animal rock painting ideas here, but to get you started…

These fun and playful animal rock painting ideas are sure to inspire. From painted pebbles to rock art, check out these fun animal rocks. #rockpainting #paintedstone #paintedpebbles #rockart #painting #animalart #rufflesandrainboots

Christmas Rock Painting Tutorials

If you need a lot of inspiration, our holiday and Christmas rock painting tutorials are listed here. Just a few:

These Christmas rock painting ideas will have you ringing in the holiday season with fun and festive designs. #rockpainting #christmas #christmasrocks #rockart #paintedpebbles #paintedstones #kindnessrocks #paintandhiderocks #rufflesandrainboots

Story Stone Tutorials

I loved making these full sets of story stones tutorials for learning and play. Here are a few we loved sharing:

These rock painting ideas for story stones and sets will bring ALL the smiles. From animals to Easter, get inspired. #rockpainting #paintedstones #paintedpebbles #rockart #painting #storystones #montessori #rufflesandrainboots