I love decorating my home for the summer season. Every year I look forward to getting out my seashells, fishing nets, paddles, mini surf boards, flip-flops, etc. Every room in my home gets the summer touch! Last month I hosted a small backyard barbecue and pool party for a few friends and family. My theme for the party was a beach theme and most of the decorations I made myself.

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Decoupage is a great technique to use when decorating seashells. I went to the beach and collected large 4″ to 5″ wide clam shells. I brought them home to clean them. You want to wash them in a sink full of warm soapy water. I like to use Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. It’s the best at removing fishy smells, sand, debris, etc. Let them soak in the sink for 15 minutes and rinse with clean water. If you have any stubborn areas use a Mr. Clean Eraser. You always want to WASH your seashells before using them!!! Take them outside and let them air dry for 1-2 days in the sunshine.

While the seashells were drying I headed to my local Dollar Tree store. I picked up a package of seashell printed paper napkins for $1.25 along with 1 bottle of Mod Podge that I found in the arts and crafts section of the store. While I was there I picked up a box of square shaped sandwich bags so that I could store the paper napkins in them without them getting wrinkled up for storage.

Below you’ll find a complete list of items you’ll need and how to decoupage paper napkins to the seashells.

Clam Seashells
Acrylic Craft Paints
Paint Brush
Foam Brush
Water Dish
Paper Towels
Pack of Paper Napkins
Scissors
Bottle of Mod Podge (I used one with a glossy finish)

Wash and dry the clam shells. Use acrylic craft paint to paint them. I used 1-2 coats of paint depending on the color to get the coverage that was needed. Let the paint thoroughly dry.

While the paint is drying cut out the desired designs from the paper napkins. You want to cut close to the edge of the design. Paper napkins are typically made up of 2-layers. You ONLY need that top layer. Discard the bottom one.  Lay your cutouts onto the table in an arrangement that you like for each seashell. Some shells I added just one design while others I added several. It’s whatever you prefer.

Dip the foam brush into the Mod Podge and cover the shell with a generous coat. Then place your cutout on top. Smooth it down to make sure you get all wrinkles and air bubbles out. I like to use a pencil eraser to do that or a cotton swab. You need to place them down while the Mod Podge is wet. Once you have them on you need to go over the entire shell AGAIN with Mod Podge to seal the paint and the paper napkin design. I use a generous coating. Let dry for a few hours or until they’re no longer tacky.

You can use these decoupage seashells inside or outside of your home. I placed a few on the buffet table, a few on poolside tables and around our back deck to set the summertime theme. A fun and easy project that doesn’t cost a lot of money!!!

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