Adopt Don’t Shop Painted Seashells for Pet Lovers

We love animals…all kinds of different animals. We’re also big believers that people need to ADOPT more pets insteady of buying them! There are millions of dogs, cats, hamsters, birds, etc. living in animal shelters just waiting to be adopted. Everyone needs to be a more responsible pet owner. Enough said.

Last month I started painting large 4″ and 5″ wide clam shells with the Adopt Don’t Shop message along with a paw print. I’ve been giving them out to friends and family members who have adopted (rescued) a dog or cat. It’s a little reward for doing the right thing by adopting!

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These painted seashells are really easy to make. No artistic talent is needed. No pattern or template! All you need is the clam shell, acrylic craft paint, acrylic paint pens, paint brushes and a can of clear spray sealer. That’s it!!!

Getting Started: Always start by washing your shells in warm soapy water with Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. Why Dawn? It does the best job at removing sand, debris and fishy odors. After soaking for 15 minutes, rinse with clean water and air dry.

Base coat the clam shell with 2 coats of acrylic craft paint in your desired color. Allow for 30 minutes of drying time between coats.  Once the paint is dry you want to paint the large portion of the paw. It’s simply an ARC shape. Then paint the 4 little toes aka paw pads around the top (see photograph). Let dry.

The wordage is BEST added by using an acrylic paint pen in your desired color. Using a paint pen gives you more control. I like using paint pens with a fine tip or medium tip when writing words onto the clam shells. Let dry for 1-3 hours or until the paint is no longer tacky.

Take the seashells outside. Spray them with 1-2 light coats of a clear acrylic spray sealer. You need to spray BOTH sides of the painted shell. This will protect the painted finish and help to preserve the clam shell for years to come! You can display them inside or outside of your home.

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