Taking walks on the beach is one of my favorite outdoor activities to do. While I’m walking…I’m often picking up seashells to use in various arts and craft projects around my home. One thing that I always notice while out on the beach is how other people toss back the broken shells or just leave them lying on the beach. Well, I’m here to tell you that those broken shells are beautiful! They can easily be used in your arts and crafts projects too!
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The three broken shells that I used in this project area: 2 large broken clam shells and 1 broken Whelk Shell.
Wash all seashells in warm soapy water using Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. Dawn does the best job at removing sand and fishy odors. Rinse with clean water and let air dry overnight.
Quarter Moon – Base coat with 2 coats of bright yellow acrylic craft paint. Let dry until it’s no longer tacky. Use a fine-tip Black Acrylic Paint Marker to write the words “Love You to the Moon and Back” on the front. Let dry for 30 minutes. Brush a coat of Clear Mod Podge Sealer over-the-top. While it’s still wet…sprinkle on some gold metallic confetti stars. As it dries…those stars will adhere into place.
Lady Bug – You’ll need a 1″ clam shell to make the lady bug. Paint it in your desired colors…I used pink, black and white. Set aside to dry. For the broken clam shell…I painted it with 2 coats of a dark purple acrylic craft paint. Let dry. Use a fine-tip White Acrylic Paint Marker to write the words “I’m the Better Half” on the front of the shell. Adhere the painted ladybug to the front using Gorilla Glue. Let dry for 1 hour. Brush on a coat of Clear Mod Podge Sealer. While it’s still wet…sprinkle on micro-fine glitter. Let dry for 2 hours or until it’s no longer tacky.
Faux Quilt – You’ll need a piece of a broken Whelk shell for this one. Base coat the entire front with 1 coat of white acrylic craft paint. Let dry. Use a pencil to mark off sections on the shell in various sized squares, rectangles and triangles. Color in those squares using a pack of BETEM Acrylic Paint Markers. Use a black fine-tip paint marker to outline the shapes and to add the slash marks to give it that faux quilting appearance. Once all the paint is dry…brush-on a light coat of Clear Mod Podge Sealer. Let dry for 2 hours.