Cactus Rock Painting – Bring Back the Green!
Right now in Oklahoma, everything is brown; the grass, the trees, and the leaves that have fallen to the ground. Green is pretty scarce right now. I have a couple of potted succulents that are doing OK, but even their green color is very muted. We have had a dry spell lately. We haven’t even had our first snow of the season, which is unusual.
Even though I am not much of a real gardener, I do love to look at green plants and trees. I set out to create a small cactus rock garden to put outside for others to enjoy.
Cactus Rocks
Cacti are a great subject for rock painting. They can take on different shapes and colors. You can use the entire rock and create a three-dimensional cactus, or just draw on one side of a rock and color it in. Also, their colors and designs can vary greatly in nature, so you don’t have to make any two that look just alike.
I really like the designs used at Fab Art DIY. She stayed true to the traditional desert cactus.
DIY Painted Rock Cactus (fabartdiy.com)
I found several ideas for cactus rocks at Balcony Decoration. Some even glue smaller rocks together to create some interesting shapes.
DIY Cactus Rock Painting Ideas – Balcony Decoration & Eco-Friendly Garden Ideas
Amanda at Crafts by Amanda had a very nice collection of cactus rocks that she displayed in a pot.
Supply List for your Cactus Rock Garden
- Four (or more) smooth, flat rocks
- Acrylic paint, I used three different shades of green
- Acrylic paint markers, I used black, white, and a light green
- Paint brushes, thin flat point brush, thin round-point brush
- Acrylic sealer, spray or paint-on
- Other supplies: table cloth, paper plate, cup of water
- Optional: Four-inch terra cotta pot, other small stones or marbles to fill pot, plastic flowers, glue dots
Choosing & Priming your Rock
Rocks are everywhere. But not all rocks are ideal for painting. You can go on a stroll through your neighborhood or park and pick up a few rocks. However, I have found that most of those can be too small or not have much of a flat surface. Purchasing rocks is also an option. You can find them at craft stores, home improvement stores, landscaping companies, or even order them online.
The rocks I used for this project were purchased at Hobby Lobby
https://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Mosaics/Mosaic-Pieces/White-Sliced-River-Rocks/p/80982527
I did not paint a primer coat on these rocks. They came out of the package as white rocks and were not porous.
I cleaned the rocks with some dish soap and a sponge and let them dry before applying any paint.
Here are some general instructions for priming a rock if you would like to read further.
https://rockrembrandt.com/how-do-you-prepare-rocks-for-rock-painting
Base Coat for Your Cactus Rocks
I had three different shades of green acrylic paint. I painted two of them the same color and used the remaining colors on the remaining rocks. The paint covered well, but I decided to go ahead with a second coat. I painted one side and the edges and let the rocks dry. Then I turned them over and repeat on the other side.
Painting Details on Your Cactus Rocks
I used paint markers for all of the detail work on the rocks. Paint markers need to be primed before you use them. Make sure to shake them at least 20 times to mix up the settled paint. Then, you will need to press the tip of the marker on a piece of paper or other surface to get the paint flowing. You may have to press the tip down every so often to get the paint moving again.
The first rock that I worked on was long and slender. I followed the shape of the rock with a white paint marker to add rows of small dots. Every inch or so I added an X shape. These were randomly placed. The dotted lines extended vertically down the front of the rock. Repeat on the other side.
The second rock that I worked on was more egg-shaped. I added the spines to this rock. The shape I made reminded me of a bird’s footprint. I made a V with a white paint marker and added a line down the middle of the v. Once the white was dry I added two black lines in the black space of the shape. Repeat on the other side.
The third rock was the smallest. Using a white paint marker, I added white dots in a regular patterns. These dots were thicker than the ones I painted on the first rock. Repeat on the other side.
The fourth rock was the widest. Using a light green paint marker, I added vertical stripes. These were the thickest lines of the whole project. When the light green was dry, I added white stars for the spines using a white paint marker.
Sealing Your Cactus Rocks
I decided to seal all of the rocks using a spray acrylic sealer like 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 table cloth works perfectly for this step. I sprayed a light coat of sealer on each rock and let it dry. Be sure to follow the package instructions on your sealer.
Displaying in a potted rock garden
I displayed the painted rocks in a four-inch terra cotta pot that I filled with some loose stones. After arranging the rocks, I added two plastic flowers to the rock with a glue dot. Paper or fabric flowers would work also.
Top Take-Aways for this Cactus Rock Garden Project
- Play with design shapes and colors. Mixing and matching can produce great results.
- When doing a fine design with a paint marker, make sure your rock is completely dry and laying on a flat surface
- Display your mini rock garden anywhere you like. This would be great in an office setting that does not allow for live plants.
Happy painting!
