Craft Project: Painted Moo Cow Seashells Garden Yard Art

I bet you all thought I would run out of seashell craft projects by now. Right? Wrong! I’ve got boxes, upon boxes full of beautiful shells that I’ve collected (and continue to collect) from all of our trips down to the beach.

While many of the designs that I feature are painted onto large clam shells, you could certainly paint them onto smooth river rocks too. I completely understand that some readers don’t have access to a beach. Furthermore, you can buy seashells online or at your local craft supply store.

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This design is perfect for those of you who love the farming life or just moo cows in general. I know a lot of people who decorate their kitchens in a cow theme! This fun design is courtesy of my 10 year old granddaughter. So, let’s get moooving!

Craft Project: Painted Moo Cow Seashells Garden Yard Art

Large 5″ Wide Clam Shell Seashell
2 Small Clam Shells
Acrylic Craft Paint White, Black and Flesh Tone
Paint Brush, Water Dish, Paper Towels
Clear Acrylic Spray Sealer, Glossy Finish
E6000 Adhesive Glue

Base coat the large clam shell with 2-3 coats of white acrylic craft paint. Paint both of the small clam shells with the black paint. Let dry.  We found it easier to start with the facial features first, the eyes, nose/mouth.  Then add your black spots/splotches around the perimeter, similar to what we show in our photograph. Let dry.

Use the E6000 Adhesive Glue to attach the small clam shells to the head to represent the cow’s ears. You can do them in the same position that we did our spread them a little farther apart. You can do them in all black, all white or with the spots/splotches on them. Entirely up to you. Let dry for 3-4 hours so that the glue gets a good bond with your shell.

Take your painted Moo Cow Seashells outside and spray them with 2 coats of Clear Acrylic Spray Sealer. You will want to spray both the front and back of your shell. This will protect your painted design from chipping, cracking or the colors from fading. Once dry they can be displayed inside or outside of your home. They look great displayed as garden and yard art!

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