Winter Painted Rocks: Snowmen and Snowflakes
Paint a snowman face rock with coal eyes, a carrot nose and a scarf, then add blue stones with simple six-armed white snowflakes for a winter set.
Tutorial at a glance
Materials
- Acrylic craft paint: white, black, orange, red, medium blue
- Flat brush, about 1/2 in (12 mm)
- Round brush, size 2 to 4
- Liner brush or fine white acrylic paint pen
- Dotting tool, brush handle and toothpick
- Pencil
- Jar of water, cloth and palette
- Clear sealer (optional)
White paint, a few black dots and one orange triangle are enough to turn a stone into a snowman. Add two or three blue stones with white snowflakes and you have a small winter set that suits a shelf, a mantel or a holiday table.
The snowman is a face only, filling the whole stone, so there are no small body parts to fit in. The snowflakes are built from straight lines that cross in the middle, which is easier than it looks once you know the order.
What you need
- One round or oval stone for the snowman, 2 to 3 in (5 to 8 cm) across, and two or three flatter stones for snowflakes
- Acrylic craft paint: white, black, orange, red (or another scarf color), and a medium blue
- A flat brush about 1/2 in (12 mm) wide, a round brush in size 2 to 4, and a liner brush
- A dotting tool, or the handle end of a brush and a toothpick
- A white acrylic paint pen with a fine tip (optional, for snowflakes)
- A pencil, water, a cloth and a palette
Wash the stones and let them dry completely before you start. White shows every speck of grit, so a clean surface matters more than usual here.
How to paint a snowman rock
- Paint the white base coat. Cover the top and sides of the stone with a thin coat of white, using the flat brush and strokes in one direction. Let it dry. White rarely covers a gray stone in one pass, so plan on two or three thin coats, letting each dry before the next. Thin coats stay smooth; a single thick coat leaves ridges and takes much longer to dry through.
- Plan the face lightly. With a pencil, make two faint dots for the eyes about a third of the way down the stone, and a small mark for the nose just below and between them. Leave the bottom quarter of the stone empty for the scarf. Press very gently, since pencil lines can show through white.
- Dot the coal eyes. Dip the round end of a brush handle in black paint and press it straight down onto each eye mark, then lift straight up. Reload for the second eye so both dots are the same size.
- Paint the carrot nose. With the small round brush and orange paint, draw a long, thin triangle that starts at the nose mark and points off to one side. Fill it in. Orange over white is bright in one coat. When it is dry, two or three tiny darker lines across it suggest the ridges of a carrot.
- Add the mouth. Use a toothpick or a small dotting tool to place five to seven small black dots in a shallow curve under the nose. Start with the middle dot, then add the two ends, then fill the gaps. That order keeps the smile centered and even.
- Paint the scarf. Across the bottom of the stone, paint a band of red about 1/2 in (12 mm) tall with the round brush, curving it slightly so it follows the shape of the stone. Add a short tail hanging down at one side. When the red is dry, paint thin stripes or small dots on it in white or another color.
- Finish with small touches. Put a tiny white dot in the upper corner of each eye to make them look glossy. If you like rosy cheeks, mix a drop of red into white, pick up a very small amount on a nearly dry brush and dab a soft circle on each side.
Tip
If a black dot lands in the wrong place, do not wipe it. Let it dry fully, cover it with two thin coats of white, and place the dot again. Wiping wet black across white leaves a gray smear that takes far more paint to hide.
How to paint snowflake rocks
Snowflakes look best on a solid blue background. Paint the flatter stones with two coats of blue and let them dry. For a deeper, bluer result on dark stones, start with a white base coat as described in the guide to layering paint on rocks.
Every snowflake has six arms. The simplest way to space them is to paint three lines that cross at the center:
- First, draw one vertical line through the middle of the stone with the liner brush or white paint pen.
- Next, add two diagonal lines that cross it at the center, forming a six-armed star with roughly equal gaps.
- Then decorate the arms using one of the styles in the table below, repeating the same marks on every arm.
- Last, dot the background with a few tiny white specks for falling snow.
| Style | What to add to each arm | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Dotted | A dot at the tip and a larger dot at the center of the star | Easiest |
| Branched | Two short V-shaped strokes pointing outward, one near the middle and one near the tip | Easy |
| Starry | A small diamond at each tip and a short line between each pair of arms | Moderate |
For thin, even lines, thin the white paint with a drop of water so it flows off the liner brush, and rest your painting hand on the table. If brush lines are a struggle, a paint pen makes this much easier; the guide to outlining painted rocks compares the two. The dot work uses the same technique as dot painting on rocks.
More winter ideas with the same steps
- A snowman family. Paint three stones of different sizes and give each a different scarf color.
- A hat instead of a scarf. Paint a band of color across the top of the stone with a small pom-pom dot above it.
- A night sky. Swap the medium blue for navy and add one large snowflake with small stars around it.
- Mittens. On a blue stone, paint a simple mitten shape in red with a white cuff.
Drying, sealing and display
Let the stones dry all the way through, then seal them if you wish. White backgrounds pick up fingerprints and scuffs easily, so a clear sealer is worth considering. Test it first on a spare painted stone, because some sealers can make paint pen lines bleed, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the label for drying times, coats and ventilation. An adult should apply it. Details are in how to dry and seal painted rocks.
These are decorations for shelves and tables, not toys for small children. If you place them outside, painted rocks can fade, chip or wear and may need touching up. In autumn, the same round stones work well for fall pumpkin rocks.
Frequently asked questions
How many coats of white paint does a snowman rock need?
Usually two or three thin coats, because white rarely covers a gray stone in one pass. Let each coat dry before adding the next. Thin coats give a smoother surface than one thick coat.
How do I paint a snowflake with even arms?
Start with one vertical line through the center, then add two diagonal lines that cross it at the same point. This gives six arms with roughly equal gaps. Decorate each arm with the same marks so the snowflake looks balanced.
Should I use a brush or a paint pen for snowflakes?
Either works. A liner brush with slightly thinned white paint gives soft lines, while a fine acrylic paint pen is easier to control for beginners. If you plan to seal the stone, test the sealer over the pen on a spare rock first.
