Painted Rock Hobbit Hole.

[dreamflower]

I've been painting rocks to look like hobbit holes, and my latest one is pretty big--a little over a foot long, weighing about 20 pounds. Anyway, I documented the process, which I adapted from Lin Wellford's books on painting rocks.



(Click on the thumbnails for a closer look.)

I start with a rock that is more or less rounded in shape. It could be as small as, say, an egg, up to as big as this one. Most of the ones I do are more or less the size and shape of a baking potato.



Then I pencil in the location of the windows and doors--round, of course!



Next, I use wood-filler in a tube to add the "eaves" and make the "chimneys". I apply the wood-filler much like one would apply decorator's frosting to a cake. The sponge in the front is just to prop the rock at a good angle to work with, as this one was too heavy for me to pick up.





Then I do some basecoating with outdoor acrylic craft paint. I use either Folklore Outdoor, or Patio Paint.





Next I add a few details to the windows and doors. I used a black sharpie to draw in the window panes, and I get the effect of planks on the door by side-loading the paintbrush on one side with green and on the other with a dark brown. I add a bit of "stones" and "brickwork" details.





I use both a "scrubby" brush and a fan brush, to dab on the shrubbery and flowers, all around the bottom of the smial, and also a few flowers on top of the hill.









Because this one was so large, I also put some flowers on the "back" of the hill, as well. On the smaller ones, I don't usually do this.



Here it is in the grass, next to my planter garden. But when our new front porch is finished, it will have a new location in the front of the house.






Here are a few other rocks I've done.

Here's the cottage at Crickhollow!



And here are a couple of smaller and more traditional smials…

Comments

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

They really are so pretty.

[dreamflower]

Thank you! *grin*

[weehobbit.livejournal.com]

oh my goodness! so very cute! i don't know what wood-filler is, but the effect used for the eaves is very nice! this is lovely, thanks for sharing :)

[dreamflower]

It's sold in the hardware section of most stores, in little tubes. It's generally used for filling in holes in woodworking projects, but it goes on easily, and dries hard. And once it's dry, it does not easily come off.

I'm glad you like!

[lame-pegasus.livejournal.com]

Wonderfully done - the idea with the wood filler is marvelous!

[dreamflower]

Well, I can't really take credit for that idea. It came from the book that gave me the idea to try it in the first place. But it works wonderfully!

[lily-the-hobbit.livejournal.com]

That's a very unique piece of decoration. It looks really great!

[dreamflower]

Thank you! I hope to eventually have a whole little hobbit village.

[este-tangletoes.livejournal.com]

Chuckle-grin!

Thank you for these delightful cheerer-uppers! (does that word exist? ….. It does now :-D )

Thank you also for sharing the process – and materials used.

--Estë

[dreamflower]

Well, that's the best way to come up with new words!

I just thought others might like to give it a try!

[shirebound]

How wonderful. Soon your yard will be a miniature Shire!

[dreamflower]

Wouldn't that be cool? *grin*

Thank you! 8-)

[obeliamedusa.livejournal.com]

That is so cool! Thanks for sharing the whole process.

[dreamflower]

Thank you! And I do like to share the process--in case anyone else wants to try! It's much easier than one would think.

[clever-hobbit.livejournal.com]

That's so cool! What a creative idea. I like it very much. :)

[dreamflower]

Thank you! It's a lot of fun to do!

[elwenlj.livejournal.com]

Oh my! I love it! You've got me wanting to go raid my local beach for a stone now.

[dreamflower]

A good size is anywhere from about the size of an egg to about the size of a potato. This one in the pics was almost too large for me to handle. With a smaller one, you can pick it up to do the detailing.

[meneleth.livejournal.com]

Those are absolutely amazing! I'd be very tempted to do something along those lines, but it would have to live in the back yard. I've had things stolen from right up next to the house in the front. (Not often, but still very upsetting, especially as we live in a very low-crime area.)

Or --- I do a changing floral display for the planter inside my front entrance. Maybe that would be a good place! Last year I completely changed the spring/summer display from flowers to a stream with a dragon swimming in it. Maybe it's time to change out the fall display... Hmmm...

[dreamflower]

*grin* If you do paint some hobbit-holes, I'd love to see the pics!