When it comes to fall decorating I like to whip up a few new autumn inspired craft projects every year. When it comes to crafting, I like quick and easy projects that don’t cost a lot of money. These hand painted Jack-o-Lantern Pumpkins are adorable! The designs were painted onto clam shells collected from the beach. If you don’t have access to clam shells, you can paint the designs onto smooth river rocks.
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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You always want to wash your seashells in warm, soapy water using Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. It’s the best for removing sand, debris and fishy odors. Rinse with clean water and air dry overnight. They need to be completely dry before painting on them. For this project we used 3″ to 5″ wide shells.
Base coat all of the seashells with 2 coats of orange acrylic craft paint. Allow for 30-45 minutes of drying time between the 2 coats. It’s dry when it’s no longer tacky. If you want to speed up the drying time…place them in front of a desk fan set at medium speed for about 15-20 minutes. I love using a wireless desk fan to speed up that drying time!
All of the facial features and design work was made by using paint markers. I use and highly recommend BETEM Acrylic Paint Markers. They have dual-ended tips (medium and fine), require no priming, no drippy messes, no clogged tips, no foul paint odors and they dry quickly. I also find that the paint doesn’t smear once I put sealer on top. HIGHLY and I mean HIGHLY recommend them! Plus, they’re affordable. You can buy them from Amazon.
Use the BETEM Paint Markers to add all of the facial features, the green pumpkin stem, etc. I like to use the medium-tip for coloring in and the the fine-tip for doing the outlining and detailed work. Let the paint dry for a little bit. Even though it’s dry in 10-15 minutes, I like to let them sit for 1-2 hours to allow all of the paint to cure.
Protect your beautifully painted seashells by brushing on 1-2 light coats of Clear Mod Podge Sealer. I like using the glossy finish, but matte finish will work too. This will help protect the paint from chipping, cracking or discoloring. Plus, you’ll be able to display them inside or outside of your home.
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