These Painted Rock Garden Markers are fun for all ages to make. The simple black and white design is quick and easy to paint, and they look terrific marking the herbs, vegetables and flowers in your garden. Great homemade gift idea for a gardener!
See all of our painted stone crafts here.
Decorative garden markers are fun to make for your own garden or to give as gifts to friends, family, teachers etc. who like to garden.
RELATED: See our collection of 50+ Nature Crafts for kids here.
Last week, I made some super-simple paint stick garden markers for the herb garden in my backyard. I have a second herb garden around the side of the house, so I thought I’d paint some of our smooth beach stones to mark the herbs in that garden.
Simple Design
At first, I was going to paint sprigs of the actual herbs on the rocks, but I discovered that herbs are a little tricky to draw and paint. Their leaves are just too tiny and detailed, and I wanted to keep this craft easy enough for young children to do.
I ended up just going with a simple black and white design, and I’m really pleased with the way they turned out. I think the contrast between the black and white rocks and the bright green foliage in the garden looks quite striking.
Great Gift Idea
Wouldn’t these be nice to give as a gift, along with a pair of gardening gloves and some seed packets?
RELATED: You may also like our paint stick garden markers.
Let me show you how I made them. They’re very easy, and they take no time at all.
Painted Rock Garden Markers
Supplies:
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How-To:
Time needed: 2 hours
Painted Rock Garden Marker Instructions
- Wash and Dry Rocks
Wash your stones to remove any dirt and grit. Dry them in the sun or with the heat of a hair dryer.
- Paint Rocks
Paint your rocks with black acrylic craft paint. It’s not necessary to paint the very bottom of the rocks, but you can if you wish. If your stones require two coats, allow the first coat to dry fully before applying the second.
TIP: A hair dryer will speed up the drying process for this step and the dots and lettering. - Add Decorative Dots
Dip the end of your paintbrush into some white paint and make dots all around the edges of your rock. Vary the size of your dots by dipping once and making several dots that decrease in size before re-dipping in the paint. Allow to dry fully before adding lettering.
- Add Lettering
With a fine liner brush, write the name of the herb, vegetable or plant across your rock. If you’re not comfortable doing this freehand you may want to practice on a piece of paper first. You can also lightly pencil your letters on your stone and paint over them with the white paint.
When painting lettering, it can help to thin your paint with a drop of water first. Then load your brush up and try to complete each stroke without lifting your brush. Allow your lettering to dry before varnishing.
- Varnish
Brush with a coat of varnish and allow to dry overnight before placing in your garden.
Once the varnish is completely dry, nestle your painted rock garden markers among the herbs and vegetables in your garden.
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Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
