Fortune Cookie Painted Rock – What Does Your Fortune Say?
My family loves Chinese food. Even the pickiest eater will go along with this. My youngest is a very picky eater, but even he can agree that the “chicken nuggets” at the Chinese buffet can’t be beaten. He will even try new foods there, which is amazing. His new favorites include fried rice (don’t mention the vegetables in it), Lo Mein noodles, and chicken on a stick. It’s a win for everyone.
At the end of the meal, the waiter or waitress brings by the check and a pile of fortune cookies for everyone. We have a lot of fun opening them and going around the table reading our fortunes (bonus reading time too!). I was listening to my family read their fortunes one day when it struck me, these cookies would make great rocks! Now, don’t jump to conclusions, the cookies are not hard as a rock (he he) but I could make a reusable fortune cookie using my rock painting skills and a little creativity.
Scratch-Off Tickets Craft
I remembered a craft project I did several years ago where I made Valentine cards that resembled scratch-off lottery tickets. They were so fun to make and easier than it sounds. The secret to this craft is clear contact paper or clear tape. You cover the area that you want to scratch off with clear contact paper. Then you cover with a mixture of gray paint and dish soap, let dry, and Viola! Instant homemade lottery tickets!
I just knew this idea was perfect for rock painting, so I started an experiment and I think you will be amazed by the results! I have not found another rock using this idea so I hope to expand and make more. Let’s break this project down step by step so you can recreate this at home.
Supply List for Fortune Cookie Painted Rock
• Smooth, flat Rocks
• Acrylic Paint; tangerine, white, black
• Paint brushes of assorted sizes
• Paint Markers; bright yellow, black
• Clear contact paper
• Bottled dish soap
• Acrylic spray sealer
• Other supplies: table cloth, paper plate, pencil
Choosing and Priming Your Fortune Cookie Rocks
When choosing a rock for a project, keep in mind that the size and shape matter. I would not want to paint The Empire State Building on a tiny pebble. I normally purchase rocks at Hobby Lobby or on Amazon. Purchased rocks tend to be flatter and bigger than what I find out on a stroll in the park. But I live in Oklahoma, we are not exactly known for having an abundance of rocks.
The rock I chose was about 3 inches long and had a flat surface. I wanted a bit of a larger rock so I had room to draw the fortune cookie and write in a fortune.
I will often put a primer coat of paint on the rock before painting the design. A primer coat helps to fill in holes, it provides coverage when your rock is a darker color and will help the paint for your design adhere to the rock better. This rock was very porous, so I put two coats of white paint over the entire surface to act as a primer.
Here is some more information on priming rocks if you would like to read further.
How to prepare rocks for rock painting?
Fortune Cookie Rock Phase 1: Drawing and Painting the Cookie
After priming the rock with two coats of white paint, I drew the cookie design with a pencil, I added an area for the fortune to stick out of the cookie.
I painted the cookie itself first. I outlined the cookie with a bright yellow paint marker. Using a flat-headed paint brush, I filled in the area using Folk Art Tangerine paint. The Tangerine paint has some yellow undertones to it, outlining in yellow will help bring that out and add some natural shading to the cookie.
There is a lip at the bottom of the cookie, this will represent what you can see of the inside. I mixed some tangerine paint with a bit of white paint to make a lighter shade for this area. I also used a black paint marker to write in a fortune (no peeking!)
Next, I measured a small strip of clear contact paper to cover the fortune area, cut that out and applied to the rock. (Still no peeking!)
Finally, I outlined the entire design with a black paint marker, including the paper for the fortune.
Sealing your Fortune Cookie Painted Rock
I know this seems odd to stop and seal the rock here, but this is the point where you would want to seal the cookie. You do not want to put sealer over the scratch-off solution that we will make in the next step.
This sealing step is to protect the fortune cookie itself from the elements. The sealer I used (spray-on Mod Podge) did not adhere to the contact paper in a way that would affect the scratch-off solution or how it performs. I am unsure how a different type or brand of sealer would perform. If you experiment with other sealers be sure to let me know if they affect the contact paper in the comments section.
Take the rock outside and place on a paper plate. I am using a spray acrylic sealer from Mod Podge. It is very fumy, you want to be in a very well ventilated area. Follow the directions on your sealer and allow to dry completely before moving on.
Applying the Scratch Off Solution
The recipe for this solution is very simple. It is equal parts acrylic paint and bottled dish soap. To make it look like a traditional scratch off I used gray paint. This paint will be a little thinner and runnier than straight acrylic paint. Apply lightly using a very small pointed end brush for greater control. Allow to dry completely.
Fortune Cookie Rock – The Big Reveal
I feel like we are at the point where the big semi-truck drives away and everyone is screaming because my newly remodeled house is so beautiful! Hey, I can dream, right? Anyway, we are going to take a coin and scratch this off nice and easy.
Go a bit further….
A little more….
And bam! There you have it. And here’s the best part. You can paint over the contact paper with more scratch-off solution and have fun all over again. Don’t worry if the contact paper scratches off. You can always cut a little piece off and reapply to the rock. You could also paint over the fortune and write a different message. Completely reusable!
More Inspiration for Fortune Cookie Rocks
I was not able to find an actual scratch-off fortune cookie rock. I have included a couple of links for the lottery ticket craft which helped inspire this rock and a different fortune cookie shape.
Top Take-Aways from the Fortune Cookie Rock Project
1. Apply the scratch-off solution carefully. It will be thinner than straight acrylic paint.
2. Precut a few pieces of contact paper so that if the contact paper scratches off you are ready to go with more.
3. Experiment with different colors of scratch-off solution. Gray is traditional, but any darker acrylic paint color will work just fine. Avoid lighter colors as your message may show through.
Good fortune to you!
