Welcome!
Painting rocks is a pleasurable pastime for everyone. Even if you are not (or not yet) a rock painter, I bet you have noticed painted rocks strategically placed around public parks or walkways.
Painting messages of positivity on rocks has become a popular pastime and as more and more people notice these painted positivity rocks, they want to start rock painting themselves.
Painted rocks can be used for so many things, including:
We are going to share the best rock painting supplies with you. We would also like to remind you to use eco-friendly rock painting options, especially if you plan on leaving kindness rocks along public paths or areas where wildlife may come into contact.
Try to refrain from using glitter or gems or anything that may come off onto wildlife if you are placing your rocks in the community.
If you hunt around the right places, you will find rocks in a variety of shapes, sizes and surface texture that may catch your eye for painting. Rock finding may be easier near rivers and lakes.
In areas of little or zero rock there are shops who sell rocks for painting online. We are going to share where to find the best rocks to paint, as well as our favorite rock painting supplies that we can't live without.
From the best paints for rocks, to sealing rocks, bright colors, best paint pens and more.
There are so many supplies you can get for rock painting, these are the tops of our list.
The first time you need for rock painting, are the rocks themselves. Of course, and rock can be painted, but you will get the best results with smooth rocks or river rocks. You can of course find rocks in nature or maybe at your local dollar tree, but here are some smooth rocks to paint that can come right to your door.
These rocks are specifically offered as rock painting supplies and they have a very smooth surface.
Perfect for acrylic paint or really any rock painting tool, the first step in your creative journey is to find the perfect rocks as well as the rock painting tools you will need to bring your ideas to life.
Apple Barrel paints are a non-toxic acrylic paint and are formulated for use on all surfaces. These paints can be brushed, stamped, stenciled or sponged on to your rocks and like most acrylic paint, they clean up easily with soap and water.
These acrylic paints dry to a soft matte finish and would be perfect for painted stones and other rock crafts. These would be great to decorate rocks with!
Watch how smooth the paint goes on to a variety of surfaces. This is why we recommend this brand for rock painting. Find the video under the product photos.
Get your rock painting glow on with this water-based glow in the dark acrylic paint. This kind of paint will glow and make your rocks look absolutely fabulous. For best results be sure to apply this paint quite thick, aiming for almost a puffy paint texture.
Glow in the dark acrylic paint is one of our favorite rock painting supplies and it works best on lighter colored decorating rocks.
If you are leaving your rocks outside, it will need a top coat or sealant to be sure it does not deteriorate from weather exposure over time. Without a top coat, this paint is not weather resistant.
These Artistro paint pens are premium quality and will work great for your own rocks and rock painting creations. They have a water-based formula that will dry very quickly, leaving bright and highly pigmented colors on your rocks.
You can use these paint pens on light and dark surfaced rocks. The fine tips paint markers are absolutely perfect for detailed work on your rocks and they range from whites, to bright and dark colors.
Artistro has a fabulous video to see how pigmented these paint pens are. Be sure to watch it to help make a decision on which paint pens you want for your rock paintings.
This set of paint brushes comes in a pack of 10 assorted brushes which is a nice combination of sizes. It a good economical choice for rock painting as they can be used over and over again. Paint brushes can be used to paint a base coat on to all those rocks, and they can also be used to add fine detailed work as well.
These fine tipped, premium, miniature brushes allow you to create fine details on your rocks. This brush set is especially good for wording, botanicals, and micro detailing on your painted rocks.
Paint pens are an easy replacement tool for rock paintings because they are easy to use as no other paintbrush or tools are needed. Use black paint pen to mark a completed painting or use it for extra fine details. They are a solid color that can add depth and dimension as well as details.
Here is a set of dotting tools that are ideal for mandala painted rocks and dotted areas on your rocks. A full kit that comes with everything you need to get started painting rocks right away.
If you are looking to make painted rocks for your fairy gardens, these dotting tools are super helpful. If you are into mandala painting rocks that are going to be placed outside, you should also consider sealing rocks before putting them into the garden or elsewhere where they will have weather exposure.
Compare price of all dotting tools on Amazon here
Check Price on Today Glitter here
This glitter is biodegradable, all natural and is eco-friendly.
The real Bioglitter biodegrades 90% in nature in just 30 days. Do not be confused with compostable glitter! Compostable glitter does not biodegrade in nature and is not an ecoglitter. The real Bioglitter was invented in the UK and it is made of Eucalyptus cellulose. It is also known as Ecoglitter.
There are two types of Bioglitter:
The real Bioglitter is 30-40% softer than regular plastic glitter or compostable glitter and it is only hexagonal in shape.
We are recommending this company for all of your eco glitter needs. Today Glitter is the first company in the US to become a verified retail partner of Bioglitter, and they do not sell plastic glitter or fake biodegradable glitter (like compostable glitter). So you can feel great knowing you are using such a highly qualified eco-friendly product in your rock painting.
Apply your eco glitter to your rocks using a flat brush and some adherent like Mod Podge. This can be done as a top coat on painted rocks or as the only coat. There are many different techniques you can use to apply glitter to your rocks, and there is no wrong answer. Do what makes you happy.
We went ahead and emailed Kuretake Co and asked them about the Wink Of Stella shimmer pens to make extra sure they are non-toxic. They replied back and told us that these glitter pens are water-based, and carry the SOP (Approved Product) Seal.
For those who love glitter and shimmer, these shimmer pens are a great choice for adding glitter accents to rocks. And like we have mentioned, again, be sure to seal rocks if you will be placing them outdoors in a garden or walkway.
Before sealing your rocks, be sure to try a test rock. Some coatings will smear paints & markers and then all of your work will be smeared and you don't want to risk ruining your art. Some of you who live in humid areas might not be able to get this to set so that it's not tacky so just be aware of that.
This Mod Podge is made for outdoor use.
You only need a very light layer of Mod Podge for rock painting. For those who live in a less humid climate, this dries to a rock hard finish.
You can order the smallest bottle to try first before committing to the larger size, but if you find you enjoy working with Mod Podge on rocks, you can use it for a variety of rock craft projects including use as a base coat paint with color added or you can use it to transfer stickers. Mod Podge also comes in a variety of sheens, shimmers and formulas.
See all the varieties of Mod Podge formulas here
You can absolutely use epoxy resin on your painted rocks for a hard, lacquer-like finish.
When you are looking for the best epoxy resin for your craft, especially if that craft is going to be outdoors, you will want an epoxy with a good UV-protectant added to it. Resin will dry crystal clear on your rocks and will have a reflective, glass-like finish.
We have spoken a few times about making sure to seal rocks after they have been painted if you are planning on placing them outdoors, as a lot of the paint is not weather resistant on its own.
To seal your painted rocks, use an acrylic sealant varnish over the surface of painted rocks to prevent damage. It is possible to apply clear sealants in either a matte or glossy formula, whichever you prefer for the look you are going for.
Matte sealant give rocks an extra-natural appearance while the high gloss makes the stone appear more like painted glass. Spraying or painted sealing agents can be applied within 2 to 3 coats and work easily, just make sure your painted rock is totally dry, and that you do a little test spot first.
Sealant must be applied outdoors in open areas, fumes can be dangerous to breathe. Simply place the rocks on cardboard for protection.
We hope this list helps you out with your rock painting.
MORE HELPFUL RESOURCES
Best Craft Supplies On Etsy
The Rock Painting Supply Store on Amazon
Here's a Pin to save to your rock painting boards.
The stickers are not sustainable/eco-friendly.
Hi Rouda,
More information can be found on the manufacturer’s website:
https://plaidonline.com/customer-service/safety-data-sheets/mod-podge
Eco-friendly means that it doesn’t cause harm to the environment, it’s not about testing on animals ( not testing on animals is usually referred to as cruelty-free ) so my question is that is it really environmentally friendly as stated in the title?
Thank you in advance and have a great day :)
Hi Rouda! Yes, Mod Podge is non-toxic not tested on animals. We spoke with them directly to get that information. There’s a ton more info on the Plaid Craft website. https://plaidonline.com :) Have a great day!
About the ModPodge, are you sure it’s an eco-friendly option? I’ve been looking online and I can’t find anything on the fact that ModPodge is eco-friendly. Can you please share your sources with me or tell me how you got that information.
Hi Chad! Yes, mod podge gloss is non-toxic also. Here is the link for you with more info.
https://amzn.to/2xrkXKU
Good article. Thanks.
How can I get my rocks glossy? Is the mod podge gloss non toxic too?
Great info. Grabbed the paint pens.
Thanks for the information. We all need to be responsible to protect the wildlife. Crows especially are attracted to things that glitter so I wouldn’t even use the glitter pens but especially no gems.
Comments will be approved before showing up.
DIY Craft Club is a beautiful, creative place in our hearts that we are warmly opening up to you. Before our website even existed, we would get together and just explode with ideas of projects we wanted to do and thought, it's time to bring these ideas to life and share them! And so, DIY Craft Club was born.
It was just meant to be.
Now all our happy ideas and creativity have an outlet that we get to share with you, in our quest to spark creativity and invoke your imagination through the joy of DIY. We are SO happy you are here, and we hope you stick around a while and see what we are up to today.
Join our community of 1M+ DIY'ers just like you and learn how to bring more fun into your life!
FREE GIFT UPON SIGN UP! (Value $125) Printable Craft Paper Pack!
We'll email you a FREE digital pack with over 100 different pages to start using for your projects immediately as a thank you.
These are printable papers that are NOT available on our store!
↓↓ Join The Fun & Grab Your Freebie ↓↓
DIY Craft Club Admin
April 12, 2021
Hi Rock, We do not have stickers on this list.