I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for a good summer storm; nothing’s more relaxing than the sound of heavy rain and distant thunder. Although I would rather be outside on a nice day, there are still many ways to make the most out of a rainy day in.
Geology Crafts
Rock Soaps
Years ago, I was really into soap-making, and one fun activity I tried was rock soap! No, I don’t mean putting rocks in your soap—though I did try to make soap with sand. I don’t recommend that either. I’m talking about making soap that looks like rocks!
Head to the craft store and pick up a melt and pour soap base: I always used this brand. Some other supplies you’ll need are soap coloring (NOT food coloring), essential or fragrance oils, and a flexible silicone mold.
Now, there are a lot of different ways to go about this, so I suggest browsing Pinterest for inspiration and finding a tutorial that works for you!
Fiber Arts Stratigraphic Columns
Do you have a favorite rock sequence that you can’t get enough of? If you’re a knitter or crocheter, consider creating a cozy version of your favorite geologic formations! Just make your rows and change the color as you go along to correlate with different members.
You can go big with a blanket, practical with a scarf, or kitschy with a hanging wall display. Some more wall decor methods include cross-stitching, embroidery, or macramé! Your home will feel ten times cozier AND more in touch with your love for geology.
Shadow Box Diorama
You all know shadow boxes, right? Those deep picture frames in which old ladies put sand to make a little beach scene for their bathroom walls? Well, you have WAY cooler stuff to put in there: ROCKS!
Create your very own geology diorama with small rock samples collected from a single location. Use a photo from the site as the backdrop and recreate the environment with your rocks and mini props from the craft store.
Something you SHOULDN’T do as a rainy-day craft:
Tumble your rocks.
No, I’m serious.
Why I’m Anti- Rock Tumbling
I wholly think that tumbling your rocks and minerals is the worst thing you can do to them. Allow me to tell you why and offer you some alternative crafty activities you can do with your specimens.
Stripping natural beauty: Call me old-fashioned, but I don’t believe in destroying natural beauty. I like my rocks and minerals just as they came out of the Earth—Heck, most of them still have dirt in the crevices!
An ID nightmare: Tumbling makes those small, already tough-to-identify specimens even more indistinguishable. As you’re taking away unique characteristics, you’re also making it so much harder to tell what the rock or mineral even was.
Pricey hobby: Believe it or not, rock tumbling is expensive. You have to buy the tumbler, get multiple grades of grit (which are usually only sold in bulk), and run the thing constantly… Hello high power bill!
Try these alternatives:
Make your own thin sections so you can examine and appreciate your rocks up close! I stumbled upon this tutorial last week, and it blew my mind—I had no idea this was even possible, and now I definitely need to try it.
Get your hands on a rock saw—or rent a wet tile saw from the hardware store—and cut a rock in half to make a pair of bookends! Here’s a great video tutorial showing how to make a practical decoration that still highlights a rock’s natural beauty.
Okay, okay, if you really like the polished look, consider doing it by hand to a larger sample so you can still distinguish its features in a greater context. Follow this tutorial to create a shiny, larger display piece that won’t get lost under the couch.
Thanks for reading this week’s edition of GeoLifestyle!
I hope the concept of a deeply beloved stratigraphic sequence isn’t unique to me. I truly hope other people feel the same love for some random section of rock as I do for the Helderberg Group as seen in upstate New York. I studied it for my undergrad research and made a ton of strat columns…but I wouldn’t mind making one more ♥
When I finish it, I’ll be sure to share the results with you all—but in the meantime, if you try out any of these crafts, please send me a photo! You can send them to editorial@aapg.org or reply directly to this email.
Cate Larsen
Editor, GeoLifestyle
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