Kid’s Crafts Hand-Painted SLOTH Design Seashells

My granddaughter is really into SLOTHS this year. She thinks they’re adorable and has been buying t-shirts, hoodies and other items in a SLOTH design. Last week she spent a two hours over on YouTube watching videos on this adorable animal. Here’s a fact that she learned. Did you know that SLOTHS spend the majority of their time up in the trees? They only come down to the ground to go to the bathroom or if they need to move to another location.

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We enjoy painting designs on smooth river rocks and large clam seashells that we pick up from the beach. You can find over 150+ craft projects on our blog that utilize seashells and/or river rocks in their designs. Using found objects like this is a huge money-saver when it comes to crafting and teaches children to be resourceful and creative.

This designs can be easily altered to make a raccoon by just changing out the colors that my granddaughter used. You need to thoroughly wash and air dry all seashells before beginning this project. You can use acrylic craft paints or acrylic paint pens to make them. She used a combination of both! I think she did a great job for an 11-year old and they turned out nicely!

Kid’s Crafts Hand-Painted SLOTH Design Seashells

Large 4″ to 5″ Wide Clam Seashells
Acrylic Craft Paint in Silver (Gray), Dark Brown and White
Acrylic Craft Paint Pens in Black and Dark Gray
Paint Brush, Water Dish, Paper Towels
Clear Acrylic Spray Sealer, Glossy Finish

Base coat your clam seashell with 2 coats of silver (gray) acrylic craft paint and let dry. To make the SLOTH’S face you need to use 2 coats of white acrylic craft paint as shown in our photo. Try to use a similar shape…doesn’t have to be perfect but similar.  While the white paint is drying carefully use an acrylic paint pen (fine tip) in dark gray to add slash marks to the top of the head and chin area to represent “fur”.  Let dry.

Use dark brown acrylic craft paint to make the stripes for his eyes. She used two coats to get the coverage that was needed. While it’s drying use a black acrylic paint pen to paint on his nose (small triangular shape) and mouth (U-shaped).

Once the dark brown paint has dried you’ll want to use the black acrylic paint pen to add on small oval shapes to serve as his eyes. Let dry for 20 minutes. Dot the end of your paint brush into white acrylic craft paint and dot on his inner eyes. Let dry for several hours or until the paint is no longer tacky.

Take painted seashells outside. Spray each one with 1-2 coats of clear acrylic spray sealer, allowing 30 minutes of drying time between each coat. This will keep your paint from chipping and crazing over the years. Plus…you can now use them inside or outside of your home. Great decorations for the flower bed, garden areas or around the pool.

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