YOU FOUND A ROCK!
What should I do now?
You can keep the rock you found, or you can re-hide it! Make sure to tell us where you found our rock by posting a picture to our Facebook page Tulip’s Rocks. Our rocks have been hidden all over the world… Check out the map below to see where. If you re-hide the rock, make sure to let us know on Facebook or click here!
Do you want to paint rocks too? Wonderful! Check out our tips below.
What is Charlotte’s story?
Charlotte was a fun-loving 7 year old from Cincinnati, Ohio, who passed away from complications from the flu virus in 2017. You can read her full story here.
Why are we doing this?
Painting rocks spreads smiles all over the world in Charlotte’s memory. But, we also want to help educate people on how dangerous the flu can be and how important a flu shot is – even for perfectly healthy children. 101 flu-associated deaths in children occurred during the 2016-17 season*, and Charlotte was one of them. In past seasons, 80% – 85% of flu-associated pediatric deaths occurred in children who had not gotten a flu vaccine that season.* Learn more about the flu here.
Do you want to paint rocks too?
Wonderful! We’d love for you to join us!
Here are some helpful tips.
The rocks: We get our rocks from a local landscaping stone company because we like to hand pick them. Stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s sell bagged landscape rocks as well. You can also go on a hunt in your local creek for nice smooth stones!
The paint: We use a combination of acrylic paint and paint pens to make our designs. Our favorite paint pens are POSCA, but there are many other brands out there available online. Many craft stores now carry water-based paint pens also. We don’t recommend using oil based paint as it tends to smear when the clear finish coat is applied to the rock.
The labels: You can download our labels here. Simply print them out and cut them up! We use Modge Podge to affix the labels to the back of the rocks.
The finish coat: The final step is to apply a clear gloss spar urethane on the rocks. Make sure that you get one that is suitable for outdoor use! We also recommend coating the entire rock (including the back with the label) at least 2-3 times to make sure it can withstand the weather. Our favorite is Minwax Helmsman spray spar urethane.