One of my favorite backyard birds is the common Blue Jay which can be seen almost daily in my backyard. I love their vibrant blue colors and when I see the one…I usually see a pair aka the mate nearby. Last week I decided to paint two new clam shells to place in my one flower garden. These clam shells each measure 4 to 5″ wide, so they’re a nice large size. If you don’t have access to clam shells…you can paint the design on smooth river rocks or stones.
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Wash the clam seashells 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 let them air dry overnight. They need to be completely dry before painting on them.
Base coat each shell with 1-2 coats of white acrylic craft paint using a foam brush. Allow for 45 minutes of drying time between coats. After the paint is dry…use a pencil to lightly sketch the design onto the shell. I did a free-hand design. No template or pattern was used. Just sketch the outline of the bird and you can fill in the rest as you go.
To keep the painting easy and at my beginner level…I used a pack of BETEM Acrylic Paint Markers. They feature dual ended tips (a medium tip and a fine tip). They require no priming, tips don’t clog, no drippy messes and no foul paint odors. As a bonus, the paint dries fast! I used the medium tip to color in the larger areas. I used the fine tip to do all of the facial features and outlining of the Blue Jay. Let dry.
You need to brush on a coat or two of Clear Mod Podge Sealer to protect the painted surface and the seashell. I like to brush-on 2 coats with 45 minutes of drying time between coats. I like using the Mod Podge with a glossy finish, but you can certainly use Matte finish if that’s what you prefer to use. Let dry for 2-4 days inside to allow everything to cure before placing them outside.
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!
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