Over the past 10+ years I’ve shared 150+ arts and craft projects that utilize seashells. I decorate my home in a coastal and beach style…so I’m always incorporating seashells into our home decor. Plus, I participate in a kindness painted seashells group where we paint shells and leave them for other people to find. I probably paint and/or decorate 150 to 200 clam shells a year!
** This post contains affiliate links.
Two months ago I volunteered my time to teach seashell painting to a group of older ladies. They wanted easy to make designs that use acrylic paint markers instead of a brush with paint. Paint markers are super easy to use and there’s no mess when using them. I recommend two different sets:
* BETEM Acrylic Paint Markers – They have dual-ended tips (medium and fine), don’t require priming, no leaks or drippy messes, no foul paint odors, no clogged tips and they dry fast.
* Tooli-Art Fine Tip Paint Markers – I like using the Tooli-Art white and black fine tip paint markers for writing words, outlining or doing precision designs. You can buy a pack that contains just those two colors which is really nice.
The ladies wanted to learn how to paint the clam shells and the designs that I’m sharing today are the ones that we made. ALL are easy and great for beginners! You can change out the colors to suit your own design flare.
Wash and dry the seashells. They need to be completely dry. Base coat all of the seashells with white acrylic paint…for this we did use a paint brush. Let dry. The base coating helps the other colors that you will be applying on top…to be vivid and to pop! Otherwise…you can skip the base coating but the colors won’t be as vivid…entirely up to you.
Use a pencil to sketch on the design. No pattern or template was used. They don’t need to look perfect. Very simple designs that you can easily draw onto your shell. Next, color in the designs using the colors that you prefer. To add the white and black or the white and blue checked ribbon I used fine tip paint markers. Let all of the paint dry until it’s no longer tacky.
You need to seal the painted design by brushing on 1-2 light coats of clear Mod Podge Sealer (we used one with a glossy finish) or spray-on on (outside) 1-2 light coats of a spray-on clear acrylic sealer. Let them dry overnight. This protects the shells and will allow you to display your new pieces of artwork inside or outside of the home.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Please read the blog’s full disclosure policy located on the homepage for additional information.