Here’s something to think about. We take more photos than ever these days due to the increasingly high-quality cameras on our phones. We almost always have a phone with us wherever we go. Therefore we almost always have an awesome camera with us. However, despite having more amazing photos than ever available to us, we display them less and less in our homes. Why? Because we don’t take the time to print them off of our phones. Sometimes, it’s the idea of taking time to put photos in a frame, or having to go purchase more frames, or maybe you don’t have available wall space to hang more frames, or maybe hanging photos doesn’t fit with your decor. My mom and I discussed this recently, and we have been trying to think of new ways to display photos to motivate ourselves to actually get photos printed and off of our phones. So whatever the hindrance, here’s an idea that might help. Rock photo holders!
Rock photo holders are a cute way to display photos and easily switch them out whenever you want. These are made with copper wire and rocks. You can paint the rocks or leave them natural.
These come together so quickly and are relatively inexpensive to make. You can find a bag of smooth river rocks and copper or other metal wire at the craft store. You can also find smooth rocks at landscaping supply centers, and metal wire at hardware stores. You may even find some rocks that are perfect on your own property. River rocks work best because they are smooth and easy to paint. Since kids love collecting rocks, have them go on a rock hunt outside to see what they can find. Paint the rocks solid colors or mix it up with patterns, or leave them unpainted for a more rustic feel. If you don’t like to paint, but are more comfortable drawing then use paint pens to write a quote or doodle onto your rocks. They can be customized for any decor. I even made one with a large amethyst gem that I got in the north Georgia mountains just to mix it up. It’s very elegant, and could easily fit in with a contemporary or modern decor where rocks might not. These little photo holders would be such a cute gift idea for father’s day, mother’s day, or grandparent’s day.
You can choose any color of wire you like. I love the look of copper so that’s what I chose. You will also need some small wire cutters, or needle nose pliers.
It doesn’t matter which direction you start with the wire. Method 1 is to start by wrapping a long length of wire around the rock a few times, then wrap the wire once or twice around itself and pull it up to form the spiral on top. Don’t cut the wire until after you have wrapped it around the rock and decided how long you want the stem to be. Make sure to also have enough wire for the spiral on top.
Use something round to help you form the spiral. A large Crayola magic marker works great. Use whatever you have around the house that will give you the size of spiral you want, which is approximately 1/2 inch but doesn’t have to be exact.
Go around 3 times for the spiral. If you have extra wire, cut it at the bottom of the circle.
Now it’s time for the best part, picking out the photos you want to print out and display. These will give you a reason to print out photos instead of keeping them on your phone or computer. Display them around your house, and remember to change them out periodically maybe with vacation, holiday, or family outing photos.
I hope you enjoy this little project. Get the whole family involved with it, and it will be loads of fun.
Materials
- Smooth rocks
- Copper or other metal wire. I recommend 22 gauge calibre. I used 22 gauge on some, and 20 gauge on some. The 22 gauge is a bit smaller and easier to bend.
- Needle nose pliers
- Acrylic paint
- Mod podge or acrylic paint sealer. You basically just want something that is non-yellowing. I like acrylic spray sealer because you can spray all of your painted rocks at once. Just make sure you spray from about 10 inches back. Start with one light coat. You can add a second coat if you feel it’s needed, but one coat is fine for rocks that will be indoors.
Directions
- Paint the rocks a solid color base coat. One coat is fine for darker colors, but you may need a few coats with lighter colors. You don’t need to paint the bottom of the rocks, just a base coat on the top to serve as your background for your design that you will be painting.
- With a small brush, add in some patterns or a design. Relax and enjoy this part. There are so many rock painting Pinterest pins with intricate and complicated designs if you want to try those, but this should not be a stressful project, so paint what you enjoy. You don’t have to be a mandala expert to enjoy rock painting. I painted creatures since that’s what I normally draw, but you could paint flowers, animals, or an abstract design. You can paint something to complement the decor of your home, make paint splatters, or let the kids have fun with it.
- Once the paint is dry, add a layer of Mod podge, or spray a coating of acrylic sealer to protect the artwork from getting scratched or chipped, then allow to dry.
- Method 2 for wrapping the wire (see above for method 1): Wrap the wire around a magic marker a few times to make some loops, about 1/2 inch is good for the loop size.
- Straighten the wire underneath the loops that you’ve just created to form a stem.
- Wrap the rest of the wire around the stone a few times, 2 or 3 times is plenty.
- Place a photo in between the wire loops to hold it upright.
Ideas
It’s hard to believe how easy these are! Your kids or grand-kids will love helping with this project, and since they’re so inexpensive and easy to make, you can make some to give away.
They’re a great group project for school, church, or parties. I’m always trying to think of projects to take to the local nursing homes, and this one is perfect. They are small enough to sit on night stands, and they won’t break if they fall onto the floor. Take a few hours to take pictures of the nursing home residents and/or family members one day so you can get them printed and place in the rock photo holders before you deliver them another day. You could even plan a painting party for the nursing home residents to paint them if allowed.
This project could be made season or holiday-specific by painting particular art onto the rocks like a pumpkin, black cat, turkey, snowman, tree, reindeer, Santa Claus, or even hearts for valentines day. Or paint a beach scene onto the rocks and use to display some of your vacation photos.
Basically this is just an easy way to gift, share, and display art with family and friends in the form of a simple rock. The photo holder part gives it a functional job in addition, and a way to show off some of those beautiful photos hiding out on your phone. That’s a win-win in my book.
I will continue searching for more photo art projects for future blogs. Until then, enjoy this one!
