Hand Painted Patriotic and American Flag Seashells

Do you like to decorate for the Patriotic holidays? If so, we’ve got an easy craft project to share with you today. Last week I sat down and painted these seashells all in an American patriotic design. You can display them all through the summer season and especially on Flag Day, Veteran’s Day, July 4th, Memorial Day, etc. Don’t have seashells? These designs can be painted onto smooth river rocks too! Check out the 200+ Painted Seashell designs we have on the TCC blog!!!

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For this craft project we used 3 large clam shells and 1 large oyster shell. You need to wash them in warm soapy water with Dawn Liquid Dish Soap to remove the sand, debris and fishy odors. Rinse with clean water. Set them outside to dry in the sunshine. They need to be thoroughly dry before painting on them.

You want to start out by base coating the seashell in your desired color. For the American Flag shells we base coated in white…for the Freedom seashell we base coated in red and for the U.S.A. shell we base coated in navy blue. You will need 2 coats of acrylic craft paint with 30 minutes of drying time between the 2 coats.

You can use a paint brush and acrylic craft paint to make the designs or use acrylic paint pens. I used a combination of both. It’s easier to write words using the paint pens than using a brush and paint. Use the photographs for design inspiration but feel free to come up with your own ideas too!

Once the paint has thoroughly dried you need to take them outside. I like to lay them onto an old plastic drop cloth but you can use a Dollar Tree plastic placemat or table cloth too. Lightly spray 2 coats of clear acrylic sealer on both sides of the shell. You’ll need to allow 45-60 minutes of drying time between coats. Make sure you spray it on the painted and unpainted sides!!! This will protect the painted finish.

You can display Patriotic Seashells inside or outside of the home. They add color to a flower garden or planter, display on the front porch to greet guests or on the back desk when having a backyard barbecue. They make great table decorations inside and outside of the home. Hosting a party? Let each guest take one home as a party favor from the event.

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