Who doesn’t love to craft with the kids? Keep little ones busy this summer with whimsical, painted gem stone sandbox treasures!

Assemble your supplies:

Delta Creative varnish and patio/outdoor paint from most hobby stores and Amazon. A few basic paint colors including black for the details and white for highlights if you’d like. Small brushes for painting and one wide brush for coating your final design with varnish. You’ll also need smooth stones small enough for little hands but big enough to not pose a choking risk. We collect ours from our walks and outdoor travels or simply buy a small bag of river stones from a home improvement store. (They are typically outside by the bricks)

Here are some basic shapes for you to try. (Even if they get sloppy the kids will still have a blast playing with them!)

On a protected work surface, place your stones (wiped free from debris) best side up. Pencil out your design if you need to. Paint the stone color first, one or two coats depending on your color. Move on to your next stone while it dries.

Add a little pizzaz by mixing in a drop or two of white to create a lighter color and paint the face and a side. You’ve got it! When you’re happy with your gem use a thin brush to paint the details black. Let dry. Use a hair drier to speed things along if needed.

Last step is to add a coat or two of varnish letting dry between coats per package directions. Overlap your design a bit, covering the whole top of the stone works well. BEAUTIFUL! The kiddos will LOVE it!

I’ve had mine outside in the blazing sun for years now. No peeling or bleached colors. We have so much fun with these little sandbox treasures we even leave some behind at the park for other kids to discover and gift some to friends. Check out our garden stones here.

Happy painting! XO

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Proud of you work? Leave us a pic below!