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Looking for a fun holiday craft to make with your kids? This is Tonya, and I’m going to show you how to paint rocks with holiday pictures and inspirational messages to hide around your neighborhood. You and your kids will love this latest craft in our ongoing partnership with Testors.
This fun project is our first of four crafts we’ll be sharing as we host Testors Crafternoons for the next four weeks here at 5 Minutes for Mom. Check back with us each Wednesday for a new craft.
These painted rocks are so much fun to make! You could invite a few neighborhood kids or friends over and have a painting party, then go out into the neighborhood to find them.
We wanted this project to be inspiring and to remind people what is truly important over the holiday season. We also wanted to help people remember the holidays aren’t about expensive gifts, but instead about giving things that matter so much more like kindness, joy, love, and friendship.
Supplies you need to paint rocks:
- Rocks
- Testors Craft Acrylic 2oz Paint – assorted colors
- Permanent marker
- Paint brushes
- Tub of water to wash brushes and a towel to dry them
How To Paint Rocks
Just go for it! Painting rocks is such a simple craft that you can’t go wrong. When you show your kids how to paint rocks, emphasize how they can use their creativity and their painting doesn’t have to be perfect. For this activity, we’re painting rocks for the holidays, but here are lots more rock painting ideas.
Here are some tips to help you and your kids get started painting rocks…
- Get your supplies ready before you start.
- Consider sketching some ideas on paper first.
- Provide your kids with a variety of paint colors and paintbrushes of different sizes.
- Collect rocks with flat surfaces or buy a bag of rocks to save time.
- Make sure you have lots of rocks to paint! If you have extra rocks, your kids won’t feel like they need to paint “the perfect” picture right away.
This is the perfect craft project to make with kids for the holidays. It will help remind them what’s truly important over the busy holiday season.
We decided to paint all of our rocks with an image of wrapped gift on one side, and then on the reverse side my daughter used a permanent marker to write an inspiring message.
Here are some thought starters for messages you may write on the rocks…
GIVE THE GIFT OF:
- love
- peace
- happiness
- forgiveness
- joy
- friendship
- experiences
- fun
Once your rocks are dry, head out into the neighborhood and leave them for others to find and to re-hide. They are sure to bring a smile to the face of the person who finds them.
Testors paints are the perfect addition to your holiday crafting. The Testors Craft Acrylic Paint comes in metallic, glitter, matte, and regular 2oz bottles and can be used on so many surfaces including glass, fabric, wood, clay, metal, plaster, and more.
What will you make this holiday season?
Take a look at my other Testors creations that are perfect for the holidays too:
- How to Make a Handmade Breakfast Tray
- How to Make a DIY Pallet Photo Frame
- How to Airbrush Personalized Shirts for Kids
- Get Outside And Play With Spray Chalk
- DIY Snowman Tin Can Toss
- How to Paint Gaming Controllers
Pin It For Later
Disclosure: This post is sponsored, so extra thanks for reading and sharing.
Written by Tonya Staab, contributor at 5 Minutes for Mom
Talk with us: @5minutesformom and Facebook.com/5minutesformom
Pin with us at pinterest.com/5minutesformom
Amanda Whitley says
we like to make ornaments to hang on the tree
Michele says
Currently we are addicted to rock painting.
Leslie Culter says
We love doing gingerbread cookies and handmade xmas cards!
Aleksandra Nearing says
We’ve made some holiday themed slime and also some tree ornaments.
Jen pence says
We loved painting ornaments.
Sarah hc says
We like making home decorations andslime
Devon F says
Slime & painting are big hits in our house right now. Rock painting would be a hit with my girls!
Rose Santuci-Sofranko says
I sadly don’t have any children, but I like to do paper crafts such a quilling and origami. Thanks and God bless!
Anne says
I love this post, We do paint rocks which the grandchildren enjoy and are very creative.
Erlene says
This is such a fun craft and activity to do with the kids. I know my kids would be thrilled to find one of these in the neighborhood.
Antoinette M says
We like to make Christmas tree ornaments.
jeanette h sheets says
ornaments and christmas cards
Maggie Smith says
We make ornaments every year! Its so much fun and something I really look forward to!
Vickie L Couturier says
when the grandkids were little we made handprints and framed them for their parents
Debbie P says
My son, my nieces and I love making all kinds of Christmas Crafts. We made Christmas Trees our of green paper plates and a Rudolph ornament from pop sickle sticks. Just to name a few.
Mary Rutter says
I like making ornaments.
Sarah Hayes says
we like to paint together and make cards
Leela says
This year we’re working on ornaments and plastic canvas crafts.
June S. says
I like making my own Christmas wrapping paper and then add a store bought bow to the gift. A friend of mine showed me how to do this.
Mary Bruns says
We made ornaments as gifts for our neighbors and their teachers, mostly nature crafts such as collecting and painting pine cones and decorating them.
Trisha Havens says
We make and decorate sugar cookies at Grandma’s house with all the grandkids.
Lauren says
We like to make ornaments.
Melissa Storms says
We usually make and paint cinnamon dough ornaments each year.
Leah Shumack says
My daughter loves to do rocks and leave them around town for people to find!
Meme says
We love to make ornaments and cookies.
Yvonne Delgado says
I enjoy making ornaments, cards, and wrapping presents with my kids. Also, baking!
Marilyn Nawara says
I like to make ornaments for the Christmas Tree. Lots of fun to make and great memories to have when the kids are older.
Jessica Walker says
We like to make ornaments for our Christmas tree.
Shirley Eichman says
My granddaughter will love this as she loves to do crafts of all kinds.
Jen D says
My daughter and I love making holiday ornaments for our tree and for family!
Surinder gurm says
My own Christmas cards
Mary Gardner says
We like to make Holiday ornaments and decorate containers that we use to give food gifts.
SYLVIA SAYRE says
we liked to make stuff with pine cones, since this is the time of year they are readily available.
ae minx says
We love making homemade cards
Brandi says
I take my grandchildren I have 3 We go to festival of trees and we pick a Sunday and do gingerbread houses and boy do they love making them (eating the candy) lol
Cynthia C. says
I love baking Christmas cookies with her and making cards for soldiers and handmade gifts like sugar scrubs.
Raymond Morris says
We made new ornaments and things to hang around the house with our grand kids.
Megan B says
We make new ornaments to add to our tree every year
Roberta Thompson says
This year we made tomato cage Christmas trees
diane says
I make reindeer ornaments out of wine corks
Sarah sidnam says
I love Christmas crafting with my kiddos! My favorite has been making keepsake salt dough handprint ornaments. Love seeing their tiny hands through the years.
Emma says
I want to make Christmas signs and have my kids do handprints.
Rose says
We love rock painting! But we really love making handmade ornaments. Construction paper and paint are always in use at my home.
athena graeme says
My daughter and I just finished making live centerpieces with poinsettias and greenery. She really loved playing with the ribbon.
fdsajkl; says
Painting rocks? Seriously? Being a “Mommy” must be so mind-numbingly boring. I’m so glad I don’t have children.
Diana says
I also am thankful that you have no children, FDSAJSKL! By not being a parent, you prevented more children suffering your lack of creativity, sensitivity or observation, exactly as you must have been neglected in your past. Congratulations to you and to all the children born to someone else.
Trish F says
I like making gingerbread boys to hang on the tree. Mix glue and cinnamon, dry them out in the oven and hang with festive ribbon. They not only look sweet but they smell good too!
Casey Garvey says
I HAVE to have one of your amazing glittery light up trees made from drift wood. I absolutely love the idea for CHristmas presents!
Christina moore says
I love making Christmas Wreaths for the family
Cindy Peterson says
We make Christmas baskets for our neighbors.
Wendy R. says
Hey, I paint rocks too! I belong to a local rock group, it’s a lot of fun. My kids and I have made many crafts and gifts for Christmas over the years. 🙂
meghan says
We’ve been making wreaths!
lori says
some tree ornaments and putting up outdoor decorations
Renee Gallazzi says
We made painted rocks too! It was so fun!
Heather Babcock says
I love making homemade window clings and beaded snowflakes with the kids
sarah alexis says
I love making holiday cards with my kids!
Payal says
We love to make ornaments!
Judy Biggerstaff says
Great project to do with my grandsons. Love the sweet messages.
Edye says
We like making ornaments!
Jenny says
What a fun idea with the kids & to teach the true meaning of Christmas. Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday
Shelly Leatham says
We paint plaster ornaments and make ornaments out of pinecones and more!
Victoria @DazzleWhileFrazzled says
I love these rocks, especially the messages. So needed in our world today. Great idea! Visiting from Inspiration Monday party.
Lynda Cook says
We enjoy making ornaments, and lots of snowflakes! oh and we can not forget good ole Santa, we make a few of him too
Robin Abrams says
We will make some ornaments and garland
Julie Waldron says
We like to make salt dough ornaments.
Anne says
We create crafts which are unique. For the holidays we cut out stars, menorahs, and paint them and then put them in the playroom and decorate the room with a banner.
Beth T. says
I’m a quilter, and I like to teach the kids in my life how to make simple sewn gifts, like placemats, or kennel quilts for their pets.
Melissa L. says
My daughter likes to make things to decorate the house with.
stacie says
I like to make cookies! Does that count as a craft?!
Anitha Kuppuswamy says
Snow flakes with ice cream sticks !!
latanya says
diy ornaments