our 5 favourite projects you can make with Patio Paint this weekend

1- ROCK PAINTING

A staple favourite for young and old, rock or pebble painting is a craft that has been around since the dawn of time. With a recent resurgence of interest however, this craft has been born anew!
Pebble painting, or “rocking”, is a craze that seems to have begun in the US with Megan Murphy’s The Kindness Rocks Project. Where people are said to paint smooth pebbles with colourful designs and kind words and leave them around public spaces for others to find.
If you want to take part in this trend or simply decorate rocks and pebbles in your own garden, Patio Paints are ideal for the job! A selection of colours and a suitable paint brush is all you need! You can even finish the design with permanent marker pens and coat in a clear, durable varnish to ensure longevity (the craft paints themselves do not require a varnish, only the marker pens may do)

Ideas for your rocks could include:

• Herb Garden markers - paint each pebble in the colour of your choice and use a permanent marker pen to write the name of the herb, place the finished pebble next to the plant so will never mix your oregano and rosemary up again!
• Paper weights - any design goes here! you could even write some motivational messages on them for when energy is dwindling at the end of a busy day! 
• Mandala stones - two trends in one! Patio Paints are ideal for creating a trendy mandala effect on stones. For added impact, paint the stone completely black first before applying dots of vivid rainbow colours in a circular pattern.

2- UPCYCLED HOUSE SIGN

This one depends on 2 things: if you have a house sign on your home and if you're allowed to paint directly on your walls (ask the homeowners permission before you start!) Using the paint you can paint directly on the wall behind your sign to 'frame' it. Choose whatever design you like, we chose flowers to add an accent to our garden but you can choose anything from abstract shapes to rainbows!

Our lovely Sophie came up with this idea when she wanted to add a little bit more personality to her home - we think its a cracking result, what do you think?

3- TERRACOTTA TRINKET DISH

This quick and easy idea is another from craft shop manager Sophie; off the back of painting the flowers around her house sign she thought she needed somewhere just as stylish to drop her house keys at the end of the day.

Why not use one of these affordable terracotta plant saucers from a garden centre as something a little different? No priming required, you can use the patio paints straight out of the bottle and into the dish. If you're not feeling quite as artistic as Sophie, why not follow the contours of the saucer to paint colourful stripes, or turn big splodges as polka dots? Your limit is only your imagination! 

4- STONE PHOTO HOLDER

Following on from our rock painting idea, why not take it one step further and turn your pebble into a snazzy polaroid photograph holder?

Paint whatever design you like onto your stone, if you've got the motivation why not try and make it look like a hand or a camera? Then, take some thick gauge wire and wrap it around the stone a few times, as tightly as possible. Leave a straight length of 15cm of wire before you wrap the end of it quite tightly around the shaft of a pen or pencil 2 or 3 times.
Gently remove the pencil and bend the wire so it stands straight up from the pebble. Now place your favourite photograph in between the strands of coiled wire at the top and, voila! you have a nifty little photo holder!

You could also apply this idea to creating DIY wedding decorations as table numbers or name place-cards at your large event? Paint the rocks with your favourite colours or those of your wedding theme and use some beautifully lettered pieces of card in place of the photo in the holder?

We've used of our Crafty Perks loyalty cards in place of a photo on our football themed pebble:

If you like this idea but want a bit more guidance, you're in luck, we have scheduled a craft workshop to make one of these with us in our Yate craft store on Tuesday 30th May, click to find out more!

5- PAINTED PLANT POTS

How could we not mention painting your plant pots in this section, it's a must-do when you have your hands on a whole bunch of colourful Patio Paints!

The beauty of this craft is that there is no limit whatsoever to your creativity! You can paint your pots - whether they be terracotta, stone or metal - with any design you want! You can even paint them when they have the plant already in them! (I popped mine up on my outdoor table and just worked around it!)

We've seen hundreds of designs over the years, plain colours just to give a bit of a boost in the garden, stenciled designs to introduce a bit of scandi-chic or, like me, you could go for some truly original, abstract designs by splattering the paints across your pots! Whatever your vibe you can be confident it'll look good. The quick drying nature of these paints means you can go over the same spot again and again with ease if you can't quite get the perfect design first time and you can change them with the seasons too!

Here are some amazing designs by one of our customers, Madeline who, once she started, just couldn't stop painting some amazing floral designs on her pots:

They are amazing, I am sure you will agree!

Do you have any photos of projects you have completed recently or any craft tips you want to share with our readers? if so please get in touch and you never know you could be featured in our next craft blog!

DecoArt Patio Paints are supremely versatile, with great coverage and easy clean-up and the best thing is you can save 10% when you buy 3 or more from our art supplies for acrylic painting collection online now!
discount automatically applies when adding the qualifying amount to your basket so what are you waiting for, stock up ready and get crafting this Bank Holiday weekend!