Ice Cream Painted Rocks
It has been a very hot summer this year. A high-pressure system has settled over Oklahoma and is determined to cook us all to a crisp. We have had several 100-degree days since the beginning of June. We are closing in on August and all we want is some relief. Something to help cool you down.
Ice cream is perfect for that. I think the temperature drops each time I think about it. I keep our garage freezer stocked with popsicles, ice cream sandwiches, and different varieties of frozen treats. In that downtime between lunch and dinner, my kids will head out to the big freezer to see what is out there. They always come back with something cold and refreshing.
As a family summer project, we decided to paint some ice cream rocks and hide them at our favorite park. One of my favorite things about rock painting is sharing with others.
Supply List for Ice Cream Painted Rocks
• Smooth, flat Rocks
• Acrylic sealer, spray or paint on
• Acrylic paint markers in assorted colors
• Acrylic paint in white or your choice of background color
• Other supplies: table cloth, paper plate, pencil
Choosing and Priming Your Ice Cream Rocks
Not all rocks are going to work for all projects. I like to work with larger rocks than what I would find on a stroll through the park. The shape of a rock is also important. A long thin drawing would likely look better on a long thin rock. Take some time to plan your project and look through your rock collection before you get started.
The rocks I chose were about 2 to 3 inches in diameter and had a flat surface. 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. A primer coat can be any color you choose. Mostly I will use white as a primer, but I will use other colors depending on what I am painting.
Here is some more information on priming rocks if you would like to read further.
Ice Cream Painted Rocks Design 1: Ice Cream Cone
Let’s start simple with the iconic ice cream cone. I painted two coats of white paint on a smooth rock and let it dry completely. I drew the outline of the ice cream cone in the center. Don’t draw details at this point. They will be covered with paint.
I used acrylic paint markers to fill in the shapes. I used a dark brown on the cone and bright pink for the ice cream.
Once dry, I began to add some details and depth. I used a tan-colored paint marker to add the grid lines to the cone. I also used a red marker to draw some spots on the ice cream. I was going for some real strawberry pieces in the ice cream.
Finally, I outlined the entire design with a black marker. I went over the red spots with a bit of bright pink to make them blend into the ice cream.
Ice Cream Painted Rock Design 2: Edy’s Pie
I think I am partial to Edy’s Pies. I used to love them growing up. Rich vanilla ice cream with a melty chocolate coating. Perfection.
Let’s start this rock with two coats of white paint as a primer and let dry completely. Using a pencil, I drew in the outline of the shapes, a long oval top for the ice cream, thinner oval bottom for the stick, and the outline of the chocolate shell.
I used dark brown, white, and tan paint markers to fill in the shapes.
To finish, I outlined the entire design with a black paint marker and added a white curved line at the top to show a reflection of the chocolate.
Ice Cream Painted Rock Design 3: Banana Split
Banana splits seem to be the treat that you can never have on your own. It is just too big, it is made to be shared. So grab two spoons and let’s tackle this design.
I started with two coats of white acrylic paint as a primer and let it dry before I started drawing. I started at the bottom and worked my way up. Dish, banana, ice cream, toppings, whipped cream and finally the cherries.
I filled in each area with paint markers. I chose blue for the dish and then colored in the yellow banana. For the ice cream, I used white, bright pink and dark brown. The toppings were dark brown, red, and tan. I filled in the whipped cream with white and red for the cherries. You can use different colors if you wish to represent different flavors of ice cream or toppings.
Finally, I outlined the entire design with a black paint marker.
Sealing the Ice Cream Painted Rocks
I decided to seal the ice cream rocks using a spray acrylic sealer from ModPodge. I made sure to do this step outside. Spray sealer can give off some strong fumes and you don’t want to have that linger inside the house. I set the rocks on a protective surface, so I didn’t get the sealer everywhere. Using a paper plate or plastic tablecloth works perfectly for this step. I sprayed a light coat of sealer and let it dry. Be sure to follow the package instructions on your sealer.
Here is some more information on sealing rocks if you would like to read more.
How to Seal Painted Rocks (rockrembrandt.com)
More Inspiration for Ice Cream Painted Rocks
Agnes at Hello Wonderful used different-sized rocks to create the individual pieces of her ice cream cone. I really like her creative approach.
PAINTED ROCK ICE CREAM CONES – hello, Wonderful (hellowonderful.co)
Angela at projects with kids has a great tutorial for creating an ice cream cone rock using the entire rock for the shape.
How to Make Adorable Ice Cream Painted Rocks – Projects with Kids
These instructions on Rock Painting Guide show you how to create some ice cream rock characters.
66 Fun in the Sun Summer Rock Painting Ideas to try! (rockpaintingguide.com)
Top Take-Aways from my Ice Cream Rocks
1. Put down multiple coats of primer and let it dry completely between coats. This will help even out the color of the rock and fill in any holes.
2. Draw your design lightly in pencil before you start painting. You can erase your mistakes and have a guide for your paint marker.
3. Make use of shading lines or reflection lines to add depth to your painting.
Happy painting!
This is so fun! I’ll have to try this!
Thanks Sydney, GL!