Decoupaged Hearts on Stones

New Englanders tend to be fond of collecting natural treasures from their outdoor adventures.  Smooth round beach rocks, sea glass, and drift wood are examples of things we tend to pick up and bring home with us.  Although these natural collections are beautiful on their own, you can actually transform many of these items into various crafts.  Since Valentine’s Day is approaching, I thought it was a good time to introduce this project of decoupaging paper hearts onto beach stones.  It’s a simple Valentine’s Day craft that you can make for decoration or gift giving.

Materials Needed to Make Decoupaged Hearts on Stones

• Smooth rounded stones (if you do not have your own collection of beach pebbles and stones you can purchase them at craft stores)
• A few sheets of patterned papers (you can use scrapbook paper or recycled paper– I used both)
• Scissors
• Mod Podge
• A paintbrush

Directions to Make Decoupaged Hearts on Stones

1. Cut your papers into small heart shapes. Although I used a few scraps of scrapbook paper, I also used paper from a magazine that had bright red colors. You could even use newspaper to make the paper hearts!
2. Use the paintbrush to apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to the backside of a paper heart.
3. Apply the heart onto a rock and smooth out the wrinkles and bumps.
4. Next, apply a thin layer of Mod Podge over the heart and around the surrounding area.  This will create a seal over the heart.
5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 until you have made the desired number of rocks.
6. Allow the rocks to dry completely.

You can place the decoupaged rocks in a bowl, jar, or vase for decoration.  You can also add them to Valentine’s Day gifts or scatter them on a table at a Valentine’s Day party.  Although the decoupaged hearts are perfect for Valentine’s Day, you can make this craft for any holiday or theme– you do not have to stick to just hearts.  You can use other shapes and images such as stars, inspiring words cut from magazines, shamrocks, and spirals.