These adorable tropical fish designs were hand painted onto smaller sized clam shells, oyster shells, mussels and even a broken piece of a whelk shell. Painting on seashells is a fun hobby that I really enjoy. I normally paint on large clam shells, so this project is a great way to use up all of those smaller seashells that I had lying around. They’re bright and colorful…fun to make!
** This post contains affilate links **
You’ll need a variety of smaller sized seashells (scallop shells, oysters, mussels, clams, etc). Wash them in warm soapy water using Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. Rinse with clean water and then air dry.
Next is the fun part…decorating them with craft paint! We used a combination of acrylic craft paint with a paint brush and BETEM Acrylic Paint Markers. For the larger areas we used the craft paint and brush…the design work was done with paint markers.
You can paint them any color combination that you like. Mix and match. Bright colors and Neons look great when paired with 1-2 darker shades. You don’t need to get fancy with them. Once you’re done decorating them let them dry for a few hours.
To seal the paint you need to brush 1-2 coats of Clear Mod Podge Sealer across the seashells to seal-in the paint. I like to use a foam brush to apply it. Let dry overnight.
* This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may or may not receive a small commission which helps to support this site. Thank you!
