For years now, I’ve known the status of the dishes in the dishwasher…without even having to open it. My friendly little rock–who lives on the counter–tells me what I need to know.

Turns out, he was a rather fun art project. Maybe your next rainy day will be brightened by a similar undertaking?

Art supplies are expensive enough, but you can save bit of money by finding something free to paint. No, I’m not talking about your neighbor’s car, or the parking lot wall. But rocks are in abundance, and can make for a nice afternoon of creativity.

A few years ago, I rented a room in my house. I and my roommate came and went at all hours of the day, and it was never quite clear, without close inspection, whether the dishes in the dishwasher were clean or dirty. You know, even the dirty glasses up top don’t look particularly dirty.

Anyway, I got tired of looking for spaghetti noodles and blotches of pesto, and thought; “There must be a better way!”

So we came up with the Status Rock.

When the dishes were dirty, this side of the rock was up:

When they were clean, this was on display:

Simple!

As long as everybody remembered to flip it properly…

Anyway, it’s kind of fun painting non-flat surfaces, and I found that a rock has a nice tooth that catches the paint similar to canvas. Here are the steps you might follow to decorate your own rock:

• Wash the rock so it is nice and clean. We want the primer and paint to stick!
• Give it a good coat or two of acrylic white, matte primer. Now your acrylic colors will stick, and show vibrantly!
• Paint your designs in all possible colors and wildest ideas. No creative block allowed, it’s just a rock!
• Let it dry thoroughly.
• Protect your masterpiece with clear coat. Many thin layers are better than a few thick layers!