Hosting a backyard bbq this summer? Enjoy decorating for the patriotic holidays? Love to show your support to the USA military? If you answered yes to any of these questions I think you’ll enjoy making these hand painted patriotic themed seashells. I’ll be using them as table decor throughout the summer. I’ll also be giving them away to several veterans that I know.
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ALL of these designs are great for beginners. You don’t need any professional artistic talent. No templates or patterns needed. Just a few basic arts and craft supplies that can be purchased at a local store, the Dollar Tree, Amazon, etc. You can paint the designs onto clam seashells or onto smooth river rocks.
I won’t be giving you step-by-step instructions but will list out the supplies that I used. Please look at the photographs to give you inspiration on designing your own. You have my permission to copy mine.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Acrylic Craft Paints
Paint Brush, Paper Towels, Water Dish
Pack of Acrylic Paint Markers
Clear Mod Podge Sealer
Foam Brush
Rub-on Decals or Patriotic Design Stickers
On several of the designs you’ll see that I wrote 1776-2026 to celebrate America’s upcoming 250th birthday! When it comes to writing wordage onto seashells I like using a pack of BETEM Acrylic Paint Markers. They have dual ended tips, one fine and one medium. You’ll want to use the fine tip when writing words or doing intricate design work. Use the medium tip for coloring-in larger areas.
The ones that feature the gold metallic designs….those were purchased from the Dollar Tree. They’re run-on decals which are really easy to use and give your seashells a nice professional look. There’s no drying time involved either! You can purchase rub-on craft decals from Amazon too.
Once you have all of the seashells painted and decorated you’ll want to seal the design work by brushing on 1-2 light coats of Clear Mod Podge Sealer. I like using the one with a glossy finish. It goes on white but will dry crystal clear.