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Bug rocks
I first came across 'pebble pets' in my teens (see bottom of this page) and it is a great craft for little children right through to adults!
Painting bugs on rocks or stones is the easiest option for little artists. I've used a ladybird to illustrate this craft because it is a
simple and popular design, but there is plenty of scope for your kids to use their imagination and create wacky designs.
You could also try painting other animals such as cats, tortoises, etc.
You will need:
Stone or pebble (fairly round and smooth)
Paint
Googley eyes (optional)
PVA glue (optional)
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Select a pebble or rock which is round or oval and smooth. Paint it with your base coat (in this case red). Acrylic paints are the best paints to use for pebble painting. Poster paints mixed with a small amount of PVA glue will also work.
A 3 year old can usually manage this craft project, but you can do it with a toddler too if you paint the base coat for them and leave it to dry
before letting them loose to paint their own design of spots, splodges and stripes! You can see my two year old's effort in the picture above the menu to the right (the blue, purple and yellow bug).
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Once the base coat is completely dry, paint on the head and the spots (or your own personal design).
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Glue on some wiggley eyes to complete it (optional). If you would rather paint the eyes on, you can still achieve a great 3D effect by
putting a drop of wood glue or PVA glue over each eye. This will dry clear.
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It was Lin Wellford's books 'Painting Animals on Rocks' and 'Painting Animals on Stones' which introduced me to pebble painting.
These books are actually written for adults, but can provide inspiration and hours of fun for people of all ages and I cannot reccommend them highly enough! The step
by step instructions mean even an amateur can produce good results.
Since I got the above mentioned books she has also published a book specifically aimed at children ('Painting on Rocks for Kids'). I was very excited to discover this!
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