Decorate your home for the holidays in a Gingerbread House theme? Just love the cuteness of gingerbread? If so, check out these easy-to-make Gingerbread House painted clam shells! You can use these painted seashells as Christmas decor accents, as table settings, Christmas tree ornaments and all sorts of other things!
You’ll need 3″ to 4″ wide clam shells collected from the beach. Wash the shells in warm soapy water using Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. Dawn is great for removing sand, debris and fishy odors. Let dry overnight.
Base coat each clam seashell with 2 coats of chocolate brown acrylic craft paint. Allow for 30-45 minutes of drying time between coats. Let dry for 1-2 hours or until the paint is no longer tacky.
Keep the design work EASY by using BETEM Acrylic Paint Markers. These paint markers have dual tips, a fine tip and a medium tip. Use the paint markers to add all of the design work such as the door, windows, trim work, etc. You can decorate them however you like! At the very top of each shell we added white paint to represent “snow” that has fallen on the rooftop. Let the painted seashells dry overnight.
Next…you need to seal the paint. You can do that one of two different ways. You can spray 1-2 light coats of a clear acrylic sealer onto the shells (must be done outdoors) or use a foam brush to brush-on 1-2 light coats of Glossy Clear Mod Podge Sealer. You need to allow 30-45 minutes between coats. Let dry overnight.
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