We found this really great egg shaped rock on one of our visits to the river. My husband wanted our boys to paint it so he could sit it on his desk at work. So instead of slathering a bunch of craft paints globbed all over it, I googled “painting rocks” and came across a really unique method of “painting” that creates a beautiful work of art using….crayons. Crayons!
Beautiful, hey? I loved watching my oldest create this today. It’s without a doubt my favorite project to date. Wouldn’t a collection of smaller rocks would be gorgeous in a big glass jar on the shelf?! What a perfect way to preserve our memories of our adventures along the river bank.
*Disclaimer: We had originally recommended using the oven to heat the rocks prior to coloring, but it’s come to my attention that rocks have been known to explode when heated at high temperatures in the oven. Skip the oven altogether and use a hairdryer to melt crayons over top of the rock.
- rocks
- crayons (the glitter ones work beautifully!)
- a placemat or something similar to keep your table clean (just in case)
- a child old enough to understand they CANNOT touch the rock while working on it. My 4.5 year old did really well, although he did bump his finger up against it by accident. Ouch!
- clear gloss spray paint (optional)
- The fun part! Using crayons, start drawing/painting on the rock while an adult uses a hairdryer to get the wax nice and melty over the rock.
- Let dry (ours took about an hour more or less to fully cool).
- It’s ready to be enjoyed at this point, but if you want to give it an extra layer of protection, spray a thin coat of clear gloss spray paint on it and let it dry for an additional 20 minutes.
I found this activity incredibly relaxing, and I know my son did too. If you try this let me know how you make out!
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Hey, I have that same crayon tower!! Hehe ^.^
What an absolutely fun project to do. I would have NEVER thought to use crayons to PAINT rocks!
I think I want to try this….Lol
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I always enjoyed doing crafts and projects with “certain little people many years ago” but they grew up and some are doing crafts with their own little ones – I think this is a great idea and the finished rock looks amazing!!!! Betcha Daddy really liked it for his desk, or did it make it there or is it on display at home somewhere???
Love you all, Auntie Sharon
It’s heading to Daddy’s desk because it’s just going to launched down the stairs or through a window if it stays at home. Life with boys, you see. ;)
Be really careful heating up rocks you find yourself in the oven. There can be small pockets of air that can heat up and expand causing the rocks to break or even explode. This is REALLY rare but when it happens, it can cause little ones to loose fingers. Slow heating is the best way to avoid any trips to the ER.
Kimi thanks for letting me know! How slow and what temperature would you suggest?
I would highly advise NOT doing this. Rocks can contain liquid or air that can expand and EXPLODE and it can occur after you pull it out of the oven while your child is coloring. There’s really no safe way to do this IMO. You could try heating them in a grill outside multiple times letting them heat and cool, heat and cool until you are sure you they are safe, but I probably wouldn’t take that risk. Sorry to say, too dangerous, I would remove this post!
Hi Josh! I’ve updated the post instructions and suggest using a hairdryer along with the crayons to give them a sort of melty glaze over top of the rock :)
What if you colored the rocks first and heated it after?? Would that work and be less dangerous to kids touching hot rocks?
This is a great project. And it’s certainly possible to do safely, don’t listen to those negative people. Instead of the oven try a crock pot filled with water and heat the stones to 150 degrees. They will not explode. When they come out of the water bath the temp will drop 10-20 degrees making them 130-140. Easier to handle, safer for kids if they accidentally touch them and the crayons will still melt. (Crayola crayons melt at 128-147 degrees) Good luck!
Scott thanks so much for chiming in! I’ll be updating the post again with your instructions! Sounds like a great way to do it.