Summer will be here before we know it. These 4 hand painted Patriotic themed seashells are perfect to display throughout the summer season. Appropriate for Memorial Day, US Flag Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Veteran’s Day, etc. All of the designs are super easy to make!

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You will need to collect medium and large clam shells from the beach along with a few medium to large oyster shells. Wash the seashells in warm soapy water using Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. Why Dawn? It does the best job at removing sand, debris and fishy odors. Let them air dry for 2-3 days. They need to be completely dry!

All of the shells were base coated with acrylic craft paint using a paint brush in the desired colors. See the photographs for some ideas on colors and designs. In some cases you may need to use 2 coats of acrylic craft paint. Let dry.

All of the wordage and detailed design was made using Acrylic Paint Markers. These are NOT regular markers! They are markers that contain acrylic craft paint. Don’t use cheap markers or Sharpies as they will run when sealed and don’t hold up to outside weather. Highly recommend that you use the Acrylic Paint Markers. Let dry.

Take all of the painted Patriotic theme seashells outside. I lay them down on an old plastic drop cloth. Spray them with 2 light coats of a clear acrylic spray sealer. You need to allow 1-2 hours of drying time between coats. Spray both sides of the shells. Let dry for 10-12 hours to allow the sealer to “cure”.

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Over the years we’ve shared dozens of different painted seashell designs on the TCC blog. The majority of those designs were painted on large Clam Shells. Today, we’re doing something a little bit different. The tropical beach designs being featured were painted on Razor Clam Shells. Unfamiliar with them? They’re long, slender seashells that you can find on most beaches in America. They’re plentiful along the Jersey Shore.

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To get started you need to collect the Razor Clam Shells from the beach. Wash them in warm soapy water using Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. Why Dawn? It’s the best at removing sand, debris and fishy odors. Rinse with clean water and then air dry. These type’s of shells can be fragile, so be careful when handling them.

We base coated the outside of each Razor Seashell with light blue acrylic craft paint. You may need 2 coats of paint to get the coverage you need. Let dry. Next, add the medium blue color for the ocean water. Let dry. Then add the sandy beige color along the bottom edge to serve as the sandy beach. Let dry.

The rest of the design work was done using Betem Acrylic Paint Pens that I picked up from Amazon. They have dual tips (a medium tip and a fine tip). Use them to make all of the designs. You can add rumbling white crest waves, tropical palm trees, sail boats, seashells, dolphins, seagulls, sunshine, clouds in the sky, a sandcastle, whatever you want. Let dry.

Once done you need to take them all outside and spray them with 2 coats of a Clear Acrylic Spray Sealer. This will help to protect the painted finish and help to preserve the shell. I find that it adds a little bit of “strength” to these more fragile shells. Let dry overnight.

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