Butterfly painted rocks is an easy rock painting project for both kids and adults. Learn how to paint your own butterfly designs in this step by step tutorial.
Butterfly Painted Rocks DIY Tutorial
Learn how to make your own butterfly painted rocks in this easy step by step tutorial. Inspired by real life butterflies, this rock painting craft is great for both kids and adults!
Rock painting is such a fun activity. Great for an outdoor craft during the warm months or a fun indoor activity during the winter months.
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Perfect for beginners or professionals. Kids love rock painting crafts and butterflies are an easy design for them to try.
Only a few materials are needed to create this beautiful butterfly craft. Great as gifts, garden art, kindness rocks, or even learning tools.
For more rock painting inspiration make sure to check out: Ladybug Painted Rocks, Rock Painted Insects, and Rainbow Rocks
- Supplies
- Preparing the Rocks
- Planning out the Butterfly Designs
- Painting the Rocks
- Sealing the Rocks
- How to Use Painted Rocks
- More Butterfly Crafts and Resources
- Butterfly Painted Rocks
- Comments
Supplies
- Rocks: either purchased online or collected outside. I love using smooth river rocks, but really any type of rock will work!
- Acrylic Paint: acrylic paint works well for this project since it bonds to surfaces including rocks. Plus you can mix and match to create your own unique colors.
- Paint Tray: keeps colors separate and allows room for mixing colors. I personally like the small circular trays.
- Small Paint Brushes: great for adding details and painting the body of the insect. I found that this brush set does not shed while painting.
- Protective Sealer: sealing your rocks with a gloss topcoat will keep them protected from the weather. Plus the glossy coat has a nice shine.
- Piece of Cardboard: used when sealing your rocks. Also great as a work surface when painting.
- Q-Tips: optional, but you can use them to paint spots
- Toothpicks: also optional, but work great for small details
- Jar with Water and Rags: for washing and drying brushes and spills
- Blow Dryer: optional, but helps speed up the drying process
Preparing the Rocks
Before you begin painting your butterflies, you will want to wash and dry the rocks. This removes any dirt and debris.
Rocks can be found online through places like Amazon. Or you can head outside and collect a few rocks.
I love bringing home a few river stones whenever we visit a local lake, river, or even the beach. These smooth rocks are great for rock painting crafts.
However, even rocks you find outside can work just fine. The ones that I used for this DIY craft were collected out in our yard.
I think the imperfections add to the character of each butterfly.
If doing this project with your kids, let them head outside and pick out some rocks. I love how creative kids are when given the opportunity to make something out of everyday items including rocks!
Join the rock painting community!
Join I Love Painted Rocks on social media to get inspired, watch rock painting tutorials and connect with rock painters around the world:
- Join the I Love Painted Rocks Facebook group
- Follow the I Love Painted Rocks’ Facebook fan page
- Get inspired by rock painting ideas on Pinterest
Supplies:
- Rock (find out where to get the best rocks to paint here)
- Paintbrushes (larger)
- FolkArt multisurface paint
- Glitterific paint in Blue Moon (as part of this set or by itself)
- Metallic temporary tattoo of a butterfly
- Mod Podge
- Clear spray sealer
How to Paint a Glitter Butterfly Rock Video:
Butterfly Painted Rock Step 1: Paint Rock
Use your favorite colors of acrylic paint to paint a flat rock in shades of blue and purple and allow to dry.
Butterfly Painted Rock Step 2: Add glitter
Apply Glitterific paint over the top of the (now dry) painted rock. Allow rock to dry again.
Butterfly Painted Rock Step 3: Add tattoo
Choose the butterfly tattoo you like the most and cut it out.
Peel the plastic film off the top of the tattoo. Place the tattoo face down onto the painted rock.
Hold a damp sponge on the back of the tattoo for 30-60 seconds before carefully peeling away the backing. Smooth out tattoo as needed with sponge.
Butterfly Painted Rock Step 4: Seal
IMPORTANT! Do NOT skip this step:
Before applying spray sealer to your painted rock, you must seal the temporary tattoo with Mod Podge.
Some metallic tattoos interact with the ingredients of the spray sealer, which can make the metallic finish run! So protect your rock by Mod Podging it first!
Allow your painted rock to dry completely and then apply a generous coat of spray sealer.
In order to be sure the glitter stays permanently adhered to the rock, I recommend three of more coats of spray sealer (allowing the rock to fully dry between coats). Get more information about the right (and wrong) ways to add glitter to painted rocks here.
If you love this painted rocks project, don’t forget to share it!
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How to Make a Glitter Butterfly Painted Rock
Yield: 1
Author: Carissa B
Estimated cost: $2
This painted rock tutorial features two of my favorite things: butterflies and glitter! My local rock painting group had a painted rock challenge this month where we were asked to paint and hide rocks with butterflies on them. Of all the butterfly rocks I painted, this one is by far my favorite!
materials:
- Rock
- FolkArt multisurface paint
- Glitterific paint in Blue Moon
- Metallic temporary tattoo of a butterfly
- Mod Podge
- Clear spray sealer
tools:
- Paintbrushes (larger)
steps:
- Use your favorite colors of acrylic paint to paint a flat rock in shades of blue and purple and allow to dry.
- Apply Glitterific paint over the top of the (now dry) painted rock. Allow rock to dry again.
- Choose the butterfly tattoo you like the most and cut it out. Peel the plastic film off the top of the tattoo. Place the tattoo face down onto the painted rock. Hold a damp sponge on the back of the tattoo for 30-60 seconds before carefully peeling away the backing. Smooth out tattoo as needed with sponge.
- Before applying spray sealer to your painted rock, seal the temporary tattoo with Mod Podge.
- Allow your painted rock to dry completely and then apply a generous coat of spray sealer.
Bugs Rock Painting Ideas
The other great part about painting bugs onto rocks is that each and every one is 100% different and unique. Different colors, sizes, etc. and you have the chance to create them and paint them to capture that look and memory forever.
Lots of these fun insects are perfect for summer rock painting!
Butterflies and Bugs Rock Painting Ideas You’ll Love
These butterflies and bugs rock painting ideas are simple and great for beginners.
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Ants on a picnic blanket.
These little ants painted onto a picnic check are perfect for summer rock painting.
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How to draw a love bug to make adorable painted rocks
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Bee Painted Rocks
Learn how to paint bees onto rocks with this fun tutorial.
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How to Paint Rocks that Look Like Ladybugs
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These would look great in a garden.
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You color my world Santorini Stone
This is such a beautiful painted rock.
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Halloween Inspired Painted Rock w/ Spider
Simple spider design on a dotted background. Perfect for Halloween!
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As you can tell, you can easily recreate these for yourself at home or buy and add to your collection!
Butterfly and Bug Arts and Crafts
If you need rock painting supplies please please consider using our links below. We will make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Here you’ll find some of the supplies that you’ll want to have on hand. We adore these paint pens and use them quite a bit. You can also buy your own rocks here, too. We want to show you what we use to make it super simple for you, too!
Did you know that we have a YouTube channel where we show a ton of great videos? Subscribe and follow! The video below shows how we make our very own lovebug!
