A friend of mine lost her beloved dog a few weeks ago after a long illness. Luna had been a part of her life for over a decade. To help her with the grieving process I painted two dog memorial clam shells for her to put out in the yard by Luna’s favorite tree in their backyard. These painted shells make the perfect memorial garden and yard art.
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If you enjoy painting on seashells or crafting with seashells…you’ll find over 150+ seashell craft projects right here on the Two Classy Chics blog! We will be sharing more seashell craft projects in the future too!
To get started…I used 4″ to 5″ wide large clam shells seashells that I collected from the beach. The seashells were soaked in warmy soapy water using Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. Why Dawn? It does the best job at removing sand, debris and fishy odors. Rinse with clean water and then air dry overnight.
Base coat the large clam shells with 2 coats of white acrylic paint allowing for 30 minutes of drying time between coats. Let the final coat dry for 2-3 hours before you move onto the decorating part.
Keep things simple and easy! I used a set of BETEM Acrylic Paint Markers to write the wordage and to add the design work. These acrylic paint markers have dual tips (fine and medium tips), requiring no priming, no drippy messes and no foul odors. Really easy to use plus they dry quickly!!!
You can use my photograph to help guide you in your own design. No template or pattern is needed. All of it was done free-hand and I think they turned out beautifully. Let all of the paint dry for a few hours or until it’s no longer tacky.
Seal the seashells by applying 2 coats of Glossy Mod Podge to each side of the clam shell. Allow for 40-50 minutes of drying time between coats. The Mod Podge will dry crystal clear. It provides a protective coating to the painted finish and allows you to display the painted seashells outside.
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