Crafting with Rocks

Rock craft projects are a perfect spring and summer activity that you can do as a gift or something you can do with family. I love to collect rocks while I travel or I am spending time in my own yard at home. Coming up with different ways to incorporate these unique rocks I find, has been a fun way to spend more time outdoors.

Add this hanging bird rock craft to your next project to decorate your outdoor space like I have around all of my container plants. This spring activity is a great way to get you outdoors on the search for the perfect materials to put this together.

Hanging Bird Rock Craft

Materials:

• Rocks for birds

• Wood slab

• Tree branch

• Paint

• Brushes

• Glue

• Drill

• Natural Jute Rope

• Acrylic Coating

Steps:

1. Pick out the size of the wood base you would like to use. This will determine the size rocks for your birds you will need and how big your branch that they sit on will be.

2. Head outside and find a good branch that can fit across the width of your wood slab base that the birds will sit on. Cut the branch to size to it goes completely across the wood slab.

3. Glue the branch on the wood slab. This will be your starting point.

4. I picked out rocks that had a slight oval shape to them. Trying to imagine it being a small bird sitting on a branch. Similar to an egg shape.

5. I was able to fit 4 rocks on the branch inside the wood slab.

6. Decide how you want your birds to look for painting. I kept mine simple, but made them unique by having them look at different directions. I used white and black paint for the eyes, and red paint for their beak. I outlined the beak in black to provide definition. Really simple!

7. Once I was satisfied with the painting of the bird faces, I sprayed each rock with the acrylic sealer to protect them from the weather since the craft would be hung outdoors.

8. While the acrylic sealer is drying on your painted bird rocks, take the wood slab to add the two holes you will need to hang the project. I used a drill to make a hole big enough for the rope to fit through.

9. Once the holes have been drilled, push through the rope far enough to pull through and make it into a knot on the other side like the picture below.

10. Now that your rope to hang the project is secure, you can start to place your bird rocks on the branch where you would like them positioned. Place a generous amount of glue to the wood base and on the rocks to secure. If you are using Gorilla Glue, remember it expands as it dries so you want to consider placement so you don’t see it on the edges of the rocks.

11. Let the glue dry completely before hanging it indoors or outdoors. Wherever you decide to display your new creation!