DIY Pebble Family Portrait Art

I have always been a huge fan of unconventional family portraits. While I still love the professional family pictures and have them proudly displayed, I really love art that represents a family unit in a creative way. Maybe a watercolor painting or even a cross-stitched portrait. For whatever reason, I feel that they are more special and far more interesting.

For the past several months, I have been obsessing over pebble family portraits. Have you seen them? I think they are adorable. They are simple and sweet and made from natural elements. How much better can it get? I decided I wanted to try my hand a making a couple: one for my family and one for my sister’s family. I knew that if this little DIY projects was a bust, my sister would forgive me (and laugh at me, as sisters do).

Luckily, I have a dry river bed just a mile from my home, so I knew procuring my supplies would be really easy. And mostly free. I only paid for the frames (and I got a buy one get one deal!). Thankfully, these little pebble family portraits turned out so much better than I expected! And they took very little time to create. Here’s how I did them:

Pebble Family Portrait Art

Supplies:

Frame with a mat board
Oblong pebbles (for the bodies)
Small round pebbles (for the heads)
Thick twig or driftwood
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
White cardstock

Instructions:

First, take apart the frame and carefully set the glass aside. You won’t need it again, so dispose of it safely.
Using the mat as a template, trace the mat on the cardstock and cut out the rectangle. Glue the mat to the cardstock.
Next, set your twig toward the bottom of the opening of the mat (where the cardstock now shows through). Then place your pebbles where you want them to be. Once your have your twig and pebble placement down, use your hot glue gun to affix them to the cardstock.
Once the glue is cooled, place the mat/cardstock/pebble art back in the frame (no glass). Replace the back of the frame and secure it.
Display your pebble family portrait proudly!

See how simple that is? Isn’t it the cutest thing?

My portrait depicts me and my kids and the heart-shaped stone in the sky represents my hubby/their daddy. We love it!

My sister loved her portrait as well. I was going to write their family name at the bottom of the mat board, but I have terrible handwriting and didn’t want to ruin it. But there are so many ways you can customize these adorable little family portraits. These make the cutest gifts!