These hand-painted fruit themed seashells are great little accents for summer home decor. You can add a ribbon to hang them, glue a magnet on the back to turn them into refrigerator magnets, or just sit them around to add a pop of color. They’re super easy to make and great for beginners who are just getting into painting. You only need a few art supplies to make them.
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I used smaller 2″ and 3″ wide clam shells that I collected from the beach. Wash them in warm soapy water using Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. Dawn does a great job at removing sand, debris and fishy odors. Rinse with clean water and let them air dry overnight.
Base coat the little clam shells with 1-2 light coats of white acrylic craft paint. Let dry. Why basecoat? Basecoating allows the colors that you place on top to be more vivid and colorful. Without a base coat they will appear more dull.
Use a pencil to sketch on the design.
To keep all of the design work easy….I used a pack of BETEM Acrylic Paint Markers. They have dual-ended tips (a medium and fine tip), don’t require priming, no leaky or drippy messes and no foul paint odors. Plus, they dry fairly quickly. Use my photograph as reference on the colors that you’ll need. You can vary the design to however you would like them. I did just basic fruit slices. Let the paint dry for 1-2 hours or until it’s no longer tacky.
You need to seal-in the paint by applying a clear coat sealer. I like to brush-on 1-2 light coats of Clear Mod Podge Sealer using a foam brush. You can certainly use a regular paint brush too. Let them dry overnight.
Looking for more free arts and craft projects that use seashells? If so, check out the TCC blog! We have over 400 arts and craft projects that utlize various seashells in them! All are easy to make!
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