We love a good painted rock project – we can’t believe that we haven’t shared more of them this summer! Today we’re remedying that with these super fun mix and match rock faces! Just gather up some rocks of any shape and size – it’s actually great to let the natural shape of the rocks inspire the features – and get painting! We used our handy set of Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint and some Mod Podge to seal it all in.

This painted rock project is perfect for little ones – the faces can be as simple or complex as you like! We like using simple, clean shapes for a more geometric feel. Don’t forget to make multiple eyes, noses, mouths, moustaches, ears, and eye brows so that you can create a whole ton of different faces! Set up the different expressions with your kids and talk about the emotions that each face could represent. Keep all the rocks together in a cloth bag or a storage container so you don’t lose an eye or nose between uses. ;) Scroll down to watch the DIY video and for the written instructions below.

• Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint Set
• Mod Podge
• Paintbrushes
• Rocks

Step 1
Gather up your rocks! We like to gather up a bunch of different sizes and shapes and let those inspire the facial features. Wipe your rocks down with a damp cloth or in the sink if they’re dusty or dirty, and then dry them off.

Step 2
Lay out the rocks and decide what feature you’d like to paint on each. We picked round ones for the eyes, oblong ones for the nose and mouth, and bumpier ones for the ears. We went for it and used Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint to make the shapes we wanted – you could definitely draw them on in pencil first though if you prefer! Keep painting features until you’re happy with the collection you have – we did multiple options so that we could play around with the expressions and mix and match them to make some really silly faces. Let dry completely.

Step 3
Once dry, apply a coat of Mod Podge onto the rocks and let dry. You can protect your work surface for this step to make sure you don’t get anything on your table! Let dry completely.

Step 4
And voila! Time to get creative and play with your silly rock face! If you use smaller rocks, you could even glue magnets onto the back and make funny faces on your fridge!

Hooked on painting rocks? Try your hand at this painted rock flower puzzle! Or if you’re headed to the beach this summer, why not make these playful beach rocks to set up and these tic-tac-toe rocks to play with your friends and family? And find even more inspiration for painting rocks: here are a few fun ideas for all skills levels that are sure to give you a rocking idea or two!

Happy crafting!