Vinyl Decals are a great way to add decoration and interest to your painted clam shells. You can buy them pre-cut in a themed package or use your Cricut machine to cut them out at home. Either way, they work beautifully when decorating your hand-painted seashells. They’re easy-to apply and we’re going to show you how we used them on two beached themed clam shells.
For this craft project you’ll need some basic supplies: large (clean) clam shells, acrylic craft paints, paint brushes, pre-cut vinyla or cut your own designs (see above) and clear Mod Podge Sealer. I used a sealer with a glossy finish and applied it using a foam brush.
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To get started…base coat the seashells with acrylic paint and a paint brush. We made our’s beach themed so you’ll see a beach area (done in a light beige color), ocean water (a medium blue) and the sky (a light blue color). Let all of that paint dry until it’s no longer tacky.
While the paint is drying you can decide on the placement of your vinyl decals. The ones that I used were cut out of a dark chocolate brown vinyl. If your vinyl is self-adhesive (like the ones I used) stick the decal directly onto your painted surface. You can also use pre-cut vinyl stickers. Smooth it down so that there’s no wrinkles. Continue decorating until you’re pleased with the look. You can leave as-is or color in some of the open areas on the vinyl decals. I used fine-tip acrylic paint markers to add color to the car, sailboat and surf boards. Let dry.
Finishing up: You need to coat the entire clam shell with 1-2 coats of clear Mod Podge Sealer. I used one with a glossy finish, but you can buy it with a matte finish too. This will seal in the paint and protect the paint and decals from falling off. Let it dry for several hours to allow it to cure. If you’re going to be displaying your new pieces of artwork outside…make sure you Mod Podge the reverse side of each seashell too.
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