Family Beach Trip Vacation Memories – Painted Seashells

My mother has 4 siblings and growing up they spent a lot of time at the beach. They have decades of fond memories of swimming in the surf, building sandcastles on the beach, flying kits, collecting shells and having fun on the boardwalk. Let’s face it…the beach is always fun!

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Mom asked me to paint a large clam shell for each of her sisters. I was able to make all 4 of these painted seashells in one day. You can paint any design on them that you like. Mom wanted the word “Sisters” and wanted each one in a different color. The designs coordinate but yet are different.

When working with shells you always want to wash them first and let them thoroughly air dry. All of the debris, sand and fishy smells need to be taken care of first! I recommend washing them in warm, soapy water (I like to use Dawn dish washing liquid soap) and scrub them lightly with a sponge or Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Rinse. Take them outside on a hot day and they should dry fairly quickly.

I like using acrylic craft paint and/or acrylic paint pens when painting the shells. The paints are affordable and dry quickly. Base coat your shell with 1-2 coats of paint, let dry. You can then decorate them any way that you like. Let thoroughly dry.

You’ll want to take them outside and spray them with 1-2 coats of clear acrylic sealer. It comes in matte, semi-gloss and glossy finishes. I personally like using the glossy which adds a nice shine! Spray both sides of the shell. This will protect your painted seashell from chipping, cracking, crazing, color fading, etc. You can display them inside or outside!

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