Hand Painted July 4th Patriotic Seashells

One of the things I love about the summer season is all of the fun outdoor activities that we get to enjoy. Long walks on the beach, lounging by the pool, the backyard barbecues, patriotic parades, fireworks, and everything else that goes along with the season.

Last month I decided to add some new hand-painted seashells to my collection. These July 4th Patriotic Seashells are fun to decorate with. You can display them inside or outside the home. Perfect artwork for your garden areas, displayed around the swimming pool, on the back deck or use as table cloth weights on your picnic table when entertaining. You can do a lot with them!

All four of these designs are easy-to-make and even the older kids can make them! You’ll need acrylic craft paint, paint pens, paint brush, water dish, paper towels, large clam seashells, and clear acrylic spray sealer. You don’t need to be an artist to make them…a great beginners project.

American Flag – Base coat the clam shell with 2-3 coats of white paint. Once dry add the navy blue area in the top left corner. Then add your alternating red stripes. You may need to use 2-3 coats of paint to get the coverage that you need. Once the blue area is dry, use a white paint pen to add the dots to represent stars. Let dry.

U.S.A. – Base coat the clam shell with 2 coats of navy blue paint. Once it’s dry use a white paint pen to write U.S.A. Use red and white paint pens to add the polka dot border. Let dry.

Stars – Base coat the shell with 2 coats of navy blue paint. Once dry use a white paint pen to add all of the stars in a random pattern. Let dry.

Firecracker – Base coat the clam shell with 2-3 coats of red acrylic paint. Once dry you’ll want to paint the firecracker by making a navy blue rectancle going vertically. Use black to make a wick. Use yellow and orange paint pens for the sparkling flame around the black wick. To finish up you’ll use a white paint pen to outline the fire cracker, add the tiny polka dots and write July 4th onto the shell. Let dry.

Take all of the painted seashells outside. Spray each one with 2 coats of clear acrylic spray sealer. I used one that gives them a glossy finish. Once dry, flip over and spray the other wide with 1-2 coats. Let them completely dry for 4-6 hours or until no longer tacky. Spraying them protects the painted finish from chipping, cracking, or the colors from fading.

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