When I was gathering river rocks, I looked for shapes that resembled cactus plants. Flat oval or round shapes are best. Choose a variety of sizes. I painted the rocks on both sides with craft paint that you can find in any craft store or in the craft aisle of mass retailers.  Pick a green you like and get to work.  When the green paint dries you can embellish the stones with some accent painting to make them appear more realistic.  Seal the rocks with a Mod Podge or similar sealer.  After the sealer is dry, choose a container to showcase your cactus garden.

I used clean play sand as my base and packed it tightly in layers.  When the sand reached the top, I arranged the rocks and used decorative stones to cover any sand that was showing.

The result was a beautiful, bright, non-prickly cactus garden that I placed on the ledge alongside my whirlpool tub. Now, when I am relaxing in the tub, I can look over and smile at the memory of fun summer days at the river and crafting at home.

So what do you think? If you make one, please share your results.

I collected a very large bucket full and when I got them home I washed them in a bucket of MelaMagic and Tough and Tender, then rinsed them and put them on brown craft paper to dry thoroughly.

When they were fully dry, I painted  a base color on both sides and when dry I decided on what to transform them into. My first was my little yellow fish, followed by a couple of pink fish.  After painting a few more fish, I tried my hand at a butterfly, some ladybugs, a couple of frogs and owls.

For painting the base painting and larger details I used an acrylic craft paint. I found that the Elmer’s Paint Markers are excellent for painting smaller details. When they are completely dry I sealed them with Mod Podge.

They are all so cute and look great on a desk as a paperweight, in flower pots, on windowsills, in decorative bowls or just about anywhere you want some color and character.  My little guys even started painting some of their own and it was so precious.  If you are looking for a great activity the whole family can get involved in, try painting river rocks.

Let me know if you try this.