How to Paint Rocks with a Marbleized Finish

Marbled painted rocks #creativegreenliving
Has your family caught on to the rock painting or "kindness rocks" craze? 

We love to paint rocks so when I got a chance to play with the new Martha Stewart Marbling Medium a couple weeks ago, my first idea was to try it on rocks and I LOVE how they turned out! 

I especially loved that I could get the fancy, marbled effect of the rocks without having to deal with the mess of dipping them in water.

Here is a preview of the kinds of effects I got form three different techniques:

marbleized painted rocks types #creativegreenliving


Supplies

  • Mixing containers (check your recycling bin and get creative!)
  • Martha Stewart Acrylic Craft Paint in different colors
  • Martha Stewart Marbling Medium
  • Craft sticks or plastic spoons
  • Rocks (I used white "Caribbean Pebbles" from Home Depot)
  • Cooling rack (designated for craft use only) - optional
  • Toothpicks or bamboo skewers - for swirled method
  • Plate (disposable or designated for craft use only) - for dipping method 
  • Clear acrylic spray sealer (optional - use if rocks will be placed outside)
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Work smart: Before starting a messy craft like this, be sure to cover your work area and wear either an apron or your designated painting clothes.

Directions

Overview

This video gives you a great overview of the three methods we are going to cover below:

Prep the Paint

To prep your paint for marbling, mix together one part Martha Stewart Acrylic Paint and 2 parts Martha Stewart Marbling Medium in small cups or on a mixing palette using craft sticks or plastic spoons.

Marbling Method #1: Tilted

Painted rocks tilt #creativegreenliving
Colors used for this rock: Lilac Cloud (satin finish), Fruit Punch (pearl finish) and Pure Platinum (metallic finish)
Drip prepped paint onto rock using a craft stick or plastic spoon.

Tilt rock is different directions to get paint to run and swirl together.

If paint is not runny enough, dilute with more marbling medium.

Set aside to dry on cooling rack or craft plate.

Once dry, seal with clear acrylic spray sealer if rock will be placed outside.

Marbling Method #2: Swirled

marbleized painted rock #creativegreenliving
Colors used for this rock: Splash (Pearl Finish), Ink Blue (Satin Finish), Fruit Punch (pearl finish) and Pure Platinum (metallic finish)
Drip prepped paint onto rock using a craft stick or plastic spoon.

Use a toothpick or bamboo skewer to drag lines through the paint.

Set aside to dry on cooling rack or craft plate.

Once dry, seal with clear acrylic spray sealer if rock will be placed outside.

Marbling Method #3: Dipped (this one's my favorite!)

marbleized painted rock #creativegreenliving
Colors used for this rock: Splash (Pearl Finish), Ink Blue (Satin Finish), Fruit Punch (pearl finish), Pure Platinum (metallic finish), Summer Haze (Satin Finish), Beach glass (Satin Finish), Blue Velvet (satin finish)
Drip prepped paint onto a plate or a stack of scrap paper using a craft stick or plastic spoon.

Use a toothpick or bamboo skewer to drag lines through the paint and an up-and-down and side-to-side motion.

Roll or dip the surface of the rock into the paint.

Continue rolling and dipping until you like the way the paint appears.

Set aside to dry on cooling rack or craft plate. Once dry, seal with clear acrylic spray sealer if rock will be placed outside.
marbleized painted rock #creativegreenliving

That's it!

Painted rocks #creativegreenliving


Carissa Bonham

About the Author:

Carissa Bonham is a lifelong crafter and mom of two creative boys. The owner and lead writer at Creative Green Living, she won the Craftys Award for the "Best Craft Blogger" category in 2016 and the ShiftCon award for "Best DIY Blogger" in 2018.

Her goal is to empower families to make easy projects and healthier choices that are beautiful and delicious! She is also the author of the hardcover cookbook, Beautiful Smoothie Bowls (Skyhorse, 2017) and Proven Techniques for Keeping Healthy Chickens (Skyhorse, 2018). 

Her projects have been featured in magazines like Kids Crafts 1-2-3, Capper's Farmer and Urban Farm Magazine. Follow her on PinterestInstagramTwitter or join the Creative Green Living Tribe.
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2 comments

  1. Thanks for the idea of using MS marble med. I went directly to Home Depot and purchased a bag of the white rocks. Dippedabout 16 and they r so beautiful. I like turquoise so I used the colors that r found in the real stone. Going to do more for hiding rocks and I do calligraphy w/paintrush to add encouraging words.

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    Replies
    1. Awesome! I bet they turned out great.

      I have a separate site now dedicated to rock painting at www.ilovepaintedrocks.com/ Or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ilovepaintedrocks/ I would love to see pictures of you're willing to share them!

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