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How to Paint on Rocks for Outdoors

To ensure your beautifully painted rocks withstand all types of weather, we’ll show you how to paint on rocks for outdoors.

Three daisy flower painted rocks sitting in a garden bed.

All Over Painted Daisy Rocks for the Great Outdoors!

Over the years, we’ve created dozens of painted rock projects from lemon and lime painted rocks, sunflower painted rocks to painted penguin rocks. Although some of these rocks are used as decor inside the home, like these bird painted rock magnets, the majority of our painted rocks are placed in the garden outdoors.

If you plan to place your painted rocks outdoors, the most important thing is to ensure the paint won’t wash away in the rain and other elements. The best way to achieve this is by using the right type of paint product. Here are some options to consider:

Close up of flower painted rocks sitting in a garden bed.

Decoart’s Multi-Surface Satin Acrylic Paint

  • Our favourite paint to use for painting rocks outdoors
  • It’s a durable, self-sealing indoor/outdoor paint suitable for all types of surfaces (especially rocks!).
  • Coverage is fantastic and it dries smooth.

Acrylic Paint + A Clear Sealer

  • This is a great option for those of us who have regular acrylic paints that are NOT formulated for outdoors
  • Once painted, simply coat all sides of your rock with a durable exterior clear sealer, preferrably in a spray form, such as this Krylon ColorMaster Acrylic Crystal Clear.

Materials Needed to Make these Daisy Rocks:

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Art materials, including a rock, 4 paint bottles and 2 paint brushes.

A few tips for rock painting to get you started:

A few tips for rock painting to get you started:
  • Protect your work surface
  • Leave paint to dry fully between coats and when changing colors

How To Paint on Rocks for Outdoors (using Decoart Multi-Surafce Satin):

Paint the entire surface of the rock in Sky Blue using the larger flat paint brush. Leave to dry.

Using a fine tip paint brush, paint a short line about ½” long in Cotton Ball white. Paint an intersecting line to form an “X”.

Painted white "x" on blue painted rock.

Repeat these steps to make another “X” shape over top.  Paint these same shapes all over the surface of the rock. Go back and add a second coat of paint wherever it’s needed.

Change to Canary yellow color and repeat, painting small yellow daisies randomly in between the white daisies.

With the back end of the paint brush, dip the end in paint and dab small dots in the center of each daisy using the School Bus color.

To fill in the spaces in between, dip your paint brush in school bus yellow and paint small daisies all over. Dip the back end of the paintbrush in Cotton ball white and dab to paint the round centers. 

Finished daisy flowers painted on a blue rock.
Three daisy flower painted rocks sitting in a garden bed.

This project originally appeared on Crafts by Amanda

Like it? Pin it for later!

Completed painted daisy rocks in a large outdoor rustic planter.
How to Paint on Rocks for Outdoors!

How to Paint on Rocks for Outdoors

Jane and Sonja
Learn how to paint pretty rocks with daisies plus our best tips for painting rocks for outdoors.
5 from 2 votes

Materials
  

  • Rocks about the size of your hand
  • Acrylic paint brushes flat brush and a fine tip brush
  • Decoart Americana Multi-Surface Satin paint in Cotton Ball, Canary, School Bus, Sky Blue

Instructions
 

  • Paint the entire surface of the rock in Sky Blue.
  • Leave to dry.
  • Using a fine tip paint brush, paint a short line about ½” long in Cotton Ball white. Paint an intersecting line to form an “X”.
  • Repeat these steps to make another “X” shape over top.  Paint these same shapes all over the surface of the rock.
  • Change to Canary yellow color and repeat.
  • With the back end of the paint brush, dip the end in paint and dab small dots in the center of each daisy using the School Bus color.
  • To fill in the spaces in between, dip your paint brush in school bus yellow and paint small daisies all over.
Like this craft? Leave some stars!& mention @SustainMyCraftHabit or tag #sustainmycrafthabit on Instagram!
Tutorial Rating




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Rebecca

Saturday 22nd of April 2023

Thanks for the tip- my first try left me crying. All paint washed off. I’m gonna get the correct paint and sealer now

Bethany Chance

Saturday 17th of July 2021

Wonderful instructions. In the end, I've chosen to use paint pens because they take up less space, both while using them (no palette, water jar, etc) and in storage. Thanks for the advice for how to weatherproof seal our creations

Jane and Sonja

Sunday 18th of July 2021

So glad you found it helpful. We love using paint pens, especially for more intricate designs. You just have much more control than with a brush. But yes, most paint pen rocks will need to be sealed for outdoors to keep their color. Thanks for stopping by! Jane

Rachel Lunde

Tuesday 30th of March 2021

I'd love your expertise and wisdom - I buy rocks from Amazon and paint directly on the rocks with Posca and Artistro paint pens to go into an outdoor Rock Garden for people to take as they please. But they fade, and chip!!! I have tried sealing them with: Design Master Clear Finish Matte spray, or Rust-Oleaum Painter's Touch Gloss Crystal Clear spray, or Mod Podge Gloss Clear Acrylic Sealer spray, or DecoArt DuraClear Polyurethane Gloss Varnish... What can I do to seal and preserve them and stop them from getting ruined? I'd be so appreciative of any help. Thank you!

Jody

Monday 30th of August 2021

@Rachel Lunde, Are you protecting with at least 3-4 coats of outdoor varnish. Don’t use mod Podge it’s a glue not a final sealer for outdoors even the outdoors is only resistant not waterproof. Ive used rustoleum clear gloss x 3- 4 coats then repeat once a year. Or I use resin 1 coat. My rocks last many years. I’m in BC, Canada. Lots of rain.

Sandy

Tuesday 5th of May 2020

Awesome step by step instructions

Jane and Sonja

Tuesday 5th of May 2020

Thank you so much! We're so happy you found it helpful. -Jane

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