Those smooth stones you collect on nature walks and on strolls along the shore have a lot of life in them—you just need to apply some paint and glue to form rock animals like alligators, ladybugs, frogs, and more.
Rock Friends
Supplies:
- Paper and pencil to sketch
- Rocks
- Modeling clay
- Cement glue
- Wooden coffee stirrers
- Scissors
- Acrylic paint and fine paintbrush
Basic Steps:
- Sketch your idea on paper. For creatures that require more than one rock, arrange the rocks until the figure looks right. Glue large body parts together; you can use modeling clay to support the pieces while the glue dries (putting the clay in the alligator’s mouth, for example). For body parts that don’t overlap each other a lot, glue lengths of wooden coffee stirrers underneath for more support.
- Glue on small stones for feet, eyes, and other details. When glue is dry, paint the sticks to match the stones, add paint to create features, and remove clay.
Alligator: This great gator is held together mostly with wooden coffee stirrers and glue; like his amphibian pals, he’s made up of many parts. A simple scale design on his back and a set of sharp painted teeth bring him to life. Watch out for those chompers!
Ladybugs: Creating a family of red-winged ladies couldn’t be simpler: Each is made from a single rock. Sketch a pair of wings and dots for eyes on paper first, then re-create the look with paint on a series of oval stones, ranging in size from little to teensy-tiny.
Frogs: A pair of happy bullfrogs is marked by big, lazy eyes and tongues ready to catch passing flies. Glue two paddle-like feet under the round bodies, and tiny stones atop for the eyes. Paint dots in various sizes and shades of green.
Reprinted from Martha Stewart’s Favorite Crafts for Kids. Copyright © 2013 by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. Photographs copyright © 2013 by Annie Schlechter and others. Published by Potter Craft, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.
