Pebble monsters

Pebble monsters are really sweet and easy to make, and they are a really fun craft both to make with little ones and to display around the house and garden.

All you need is a selection of pebbles in different shapes and sizes. To paint them, I found that acrylic paint works best (although you have to be careful with little ones as it can be difficult to wash out of clothing). Paint one side first, then when it is dry, flip over to paint the other side. You can use a single colour for each pebble, or go for a more marbled effect by using lots of different colours at once. You can choose whether to stick to natural stone type colours, or make them as bright and colourful as you like.

Then when the paint was dry we decorated them with googly eyes and tiny scraps of felt. You may notice a more than passing resemblance to these monster finger puppets! 

So what do you do with them when you've made them? Here are some ideas:

• Hide them in the garden. Choose a sheltered spot, as they won't be weatherproof (or just replace them from time to time!)
• Take them back down the beach on a sunny day, place them amongst the stones and leave them for people to find. Or leave them anywhere outdoors, in the forest, on a bench, at the playground...
• Pop them in a plant pot in the house.
• Leave them in a geocache.
• Present them to adoring friends and relatives to decorate their homes.