During the holiday and winter seasons I enjoy decorating my home in snowmen. Why snowmen? Because they don’t scream Christmas! I can put out my snowman decor in November and leave it out until the end of February. I can enjoy it for several months instead of just a few weeks. On top of that…they’re just cute!!!
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All of these snowman designs were painted onto 3″ to 5″ wide clam shells that were collected from the beach. Wash them in warm soapy water using Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. It does the best job at removing sand, debris and fishy odors. Rinse with clean water and then let them air dry overnight. They need to be completely dry.
Five of the Six shells were base coated with a shade of blue acrylic craft paint. You can use just about any shade of blue that you like. To get the needed coverage…I gave them each 2 coats of paint with 40 minutes of drying time between coats. Now comes the fun part….decorating them!!!
I used a combination of acrylic craft paint and a paint brush and acrylic paint pen markers. The larger white areas I used the paint but all of the facial features, hats, scarves, arms, wordage, etc. was done using Acrylic Paint Pen Markers. Don’t use cheap markers or Sharpies. They run and don’t give you a good finish. You can pick up a nice set of Acrylic Paint Pen Markers from Amazon for under $15.00 which are fabulous! I use them all of the time.
For the noses I used orange air dry modeling clay. It comes in a brick. Pinch off a tiny bit and roll it into a ball. Then shape it into a “carrot shape” using your hands. I used a wooden toothpick to make the indents on the carrot shaped noses. You can then let them air dry for 24-48 hours or speed up the drying process by using the lowest setting in your toaster oven and bake for just a few minutes. Follow modeling clay package instructions since it varies from brand to brand. Use Gorilla Glue to attach the nose to the seashell. Never use hot glue and a glue gun on these type’s of designs. It doesn’t hold up over time or out in the weather.
If you want to add “glitter effects” I used a clear acrylic craft paint that contains glitter in it. It’s NOT glitter glue!!! It’s an actual clear paint with glitter in it. You just brush it over the areas that you want the glitter to appear. It’s a lot better than dumping glitter onto a shell. This glitter doesn’t shed nor get all over the place. It stays put! Let it dry for an hour or two.
Once you’re done painting and decorating the shells I recommend sealing them with a clear sealer. Spray each side with 2 light coats of a Clear Acrylic Spray Sealer. This will protect the painted finish from fading, chipping and cracking. You can display them inside or outside of your home once they’ve been properly sealed.
Enjoy painting and/or crafting with seashells collected from the beach? If so, we have 100+ seashell craft projects right here on the TwoClassyChics blog! All are great beginners projects!
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I like your use of bright colors that really stand out. The paint pen markers are a good idea for the finer details.