These tropical sunset hand painted palm tree seashells are easy-to-make and add a pop of color to your indoor or outdoor coastal beach decor. While the design may look complicated…it’s not! A beginner painter can definitely make them and once you make one…you’ll want to make more!
You’ll need 4″ to 5″ wide clam shells. Wash them in warm soapy water with Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. Why Dawn? We found it’s the best at getting the sand, debris, and fish odors out of seashells. Rinse with clean water. Take them outside to air dry for 2-3 days, maybe less depending on the weather. They need to be completely dry before painting on them.
To make the background sunset we muddled wet paint colors together. Here’s how we did it.
Basecoat the entire clam shell with yellow acrylic craft pain. Be generous with the amount of paint that you’re using. While the paint is still wet brush on an orange color on the upper two-thirds of the shell. Then brush on a red color on the upper third of the shell…doing all of this while all colors are still wet…blending as you go. You want a little bit of each color underneath poking through to give you that natural looking sunset. Let dry for 2-3 hours or until paint is no longer tacky.
If you look at our design the colors on the bottom third are lighter, middle third are a little darker with the darkest colors at the top…just like it would be if the sun was setting. Don’t paint in an even line…blend and blend unevenly to give it that natural look.
Painting the palm tree is really easy! First start with painting a small portion of the ground area with black acrylic paint. Then make a slightly curved arc to serve as the truck of the tree. Turn the shell sideways and gently use the brush to make an uneven edge running up both sides of the tree trunk. See photograph to understand what I’m describing. The trunk shouldn’t have a flat even line…uneven is what you want it to look like!
After you have the trunk done you need 5 arcs painted at the top to serve as the leaves. I painted the arc lines first and then went back to form the leaves…again with uneven edges. The tips should be triangular and then moving in towards the base of the tree they get wider. They shouldn’t look perfect, no tree in nature is ever 100% perfect!!! Let the paint dry for 2-3 hours or until it’s no longer tacky.
Take the painted seashells outside and spray them with 2-3 coats of a clear acrylic spray sealer. I used one with a glossy finish as I like the nice shine it gives to the shells. Let dry for a few hours. You can use them to decorate inside or outside of your home. They add a nice pop of color to your front porch, back deck, pool area, and flower beds. Use inside your home to enchance your home’s beachy decor.
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This another fun craft to do with the grandchildren. A tropical sunset is perfect to make before the start of school.
Another fun activity to share with kids during these waning days of summer. We can make a day of it going in search of shells at the beach, and then cleaning and painting them.
Okay these are at the top of my most favorite shells that you have painted. I love the colors so much and I have always loved palm trees.