This hand painted Woodlands Owl Seashell Paper Weight would make a great gift for Father’s Day or anyone on your gift-giving list who loves animals and the great outdoors. While we’re using it as a paper weight, it can be used as garden yard art too! Check out the 200+ painted seashell designs we have on the TCC blog!
You’ll need a large 4″ to 5″ clam shell collected from the beach. Wash it in hot, soapy water using Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. It’s the best for removing debris, sand, and fishy odors. Rinse with clean water and then let the shell air dry for 2-3 days. If needed, you can use an old toothbrush or a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to losen up stubborn debris.
Base coat the clam shell with 2 coats of black acrylic craft paint allowing for 45 minutes of drying time between coats.
The owl design is one we saw floating around on the internet and as you can see…it’s simple, no pattern needed!
For the owl’s head we used silver metallic acrylic paint and had to apply 3 coats of paint to get the coverage that we needed. Once dry you’ll want to add the 2 large white circles for the eyes. While they’re drying you can add the orange beak. Let dry for about an hour. Then go back and add the 2 smaller black circles for the pupils of his eyes and let thoroughly dry.
To protect the painted finish take the painted seashells outside and spray them with 2-3 light coats of a clear acrylic spray sealer. I like using one with a glossy finish, but you can certainly use a matte finish if you prefer that. Let dry for 2-3 hours. This will protect the painted surface from chipping, cracking, or the colors from fading.
Your new painted seashells can be displayed inside or outside of the home. Beautiful if displayed in a flower garden, on a front porch, or back deck. They look cute displayed indoors as part of a rustic cabin decor. The owl design would work for Halloween too!
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