Materials:

Clean smooth rock
Thick craft glue
Small craft sticks or toothpicks to apply the glue
Permanent Markers
Scraps of felt, pom poms, wiggle eyes, chenille stems and other craft items that can be used to design the Pet Rocks
Dish soap and water
Paper and Pencil

Instructions:

Wash the rocks well, possibly even brush a little to remove all the loose dirt and allow to dry thoroughly.

While the rock is drying take a pencil and paper and draw the approximate shape of your rock and looking through the other supplies decide what will be used to decorate your new pet. Draw on the shape; the eyes where you think the eyes should go. Draw the front paws, the mouth, the kind of ear your pet should have, mark where the tail should go and draw the back legs and then draw in any other designs you think would look good on your pet rock.

When the rock is totally dry place it beside your picture and copy all the drawings from the picture onto the rock with the permanent markers. Glue ears, eyes, a pom pom nose and chenille stem tail to your rock where you have shown them in your drawing. Finish decorating with beads or other treasures glued where you think they will look best.

If you are unable to find a rock you can make your own.

Here are two recipes for a dough made from bread slices and glue or a salt and cornstarch dough. You can make a rock like shape from either dough. If you want to use the salt dough have a grownup help because it will need to be cooked.

After your dough is ready shape it with your hand into a smooth rounded "rock Shape" and let it dry all the way through. Because of the size it may take several days to dry all the way to the center. You should turn your rock over twice a day so it can dry on all sides.

Materials:

4 pieces of bread
(remove crusts & make bread crumbs for cooking or feed the birds on your next nature walk)
4 Tablespoons of white craft glue
a small amount of acrylic paint to color
zipper type plastic bag

Instructions:

Tear bread in small pieces and place in zip bag, add glue and paint. Mix well until it starts to form a ball. It will form a smooth ball collecting all scraps when ready to use. It takes a while so adult may want to start before time for project

Keep stored in zip bag in refrigerator until ready to use. Shape as desired and allow to air dry (depending on thickness of shape and humidity can take several days to cure. This can be made without color and finished shape painted if you prefer.

Materials:

2 cups of salt
2/3 cup water
1 cup cornstarch
additional 1/3 cup COLD water
acrylic paint or food coloring

Instructions:

Place salt and 2/3 cup water in small saucepan and heat until quite warm. Remove from heat.

Mix cornstarch and COLD water together, add to salt mixture stirring constantly. Return pan to heat and keep stirring until mixture forms a smooth mass.

Turn out on a plate and cover with damp cloth until cool. work in color as desired or leave natural.

Place in a zip bag and refrigerated, Salt Dough will keep indefinitely.

Shape on foil covered cookie sheet and let dry (Several hours in a warm oven or several days at room temperature). You can sand rough edges with an emery board when dry.