DLTK's Holiday Crafts for Kids
Pet Rock Grad Craft
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Graduations aren't just for people - they're for pet rocks too! Get your child excited about their upcoming achievement with this adorable and imaginative pet rock graduate craft. This craft not only provides a fun and creative activity, but it also helps your child appreciate their journey through school and anticipate the joy of graduation. This charming little pet rock, adorned with a tiny graduation cap, becomes a wonderful keepsake for your child, symbolizing their accomplishment.
To add a playful pun to this special memento, include a heartwarming note that says "Kindergarten Rocks!" or "School Rocks!" reminding them that education can be fun and rewarding. Let's dive into creating our very own pet rock graduate.
Materials:
- medium sized rock
- wiggly eyes
- egg carton cup
- cardboard or poster board
- poster paint (tempra paint) in an appropriate color (school colors).
- paint brush
- scissors,
- glue
- Optional: fun foam or felt (for feet).
- Optional: wool in an appropriate color (school colors)
Instructions:
- When choosing your rock, imagine what an egg carton cup cap will look like on top of it and pick a rock that's big enough to add eyes and the cap. Ours were between the size of a lime and the size of an apple.
- Brush dust off the rock with a rag.
- Paint rock in an appropriate color... personally, I'd make it a contrasting color from the cap so it shows up better, but my 5 year old wanted it the same color and who am I to argue *grin* (I always have to resist the temptation to be too controlling at craft time!).
- Let dry.
- Prepare your cap (see below) and glue it to the top of your pet rock.
- Glue on wiggly eyes.
- Optional: Cut out feet shapes from fun foam and glue to bottom of rock. I couldn't do a template for this as the rocks will be all different shapes and sizes, but feet can be shaped something like:
or
Alternatives for grad caps:
- a flat rock (hot glued to the pet rock)
- a piece of fun foam
- a piece of construction paper
- an egg carton grad cap
Make egg carton grad cap for your pet rock
- Cut a 5" square from cardboard or poster board (adult help may be needed for this step).
- Cut one cup from an egg carton (adult help may be needed for this step).
- Paint egg carton and both sides of cardboard in color of your choice.
- Let dry.
- Position egg carton upside down and glue cardboard on the top.
-
Optional: Make a tassel with wool:
- Wrap a piece of wool around three fingers or so or a piece of cardboard 5 to 10 times (we're making a small tassel).
- Tie a long piece of wool (about 6") through the loop.
- Remove wool from base and tie a piece of wool around the loop you've made about 1/4" down from the top.
- Snip the ends at the bottom to form the tassel.
- Staple or tape the tassel to the cap.
Printable version of these instructions