Are you a dog lover or know someone who is? Work with a rescue group or need a little gift for a vet or vet tech in your life? If you answered YES to any of those questions…we’ve got the perfect art and crafts project for you today. These hand painted clam shells all feature simple dog designs! Once completed you can use them as a paper weight on a desk, a home decor accent or place them outside in a flower garden to add a pop of color. 

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We collected medium and large sized clam shells from the beach measuring 4-5″ wide in size. Wash the seashells in warm soapy water using Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. Dawn does the best job at removing sand, debris and fishy odors. Rinse with clean tap water. Let them air dry overnight.

Pampered Pooch Design – Base coat the shell with 2 coats of navy blue acrylic craft paint allowing for 45 minutes of drying time between coats. Once the paint is dry…use a Tooli-Art Acrylic Paint Marker in white to write out the words Pampered Pooch, to add the white heart, bone and paw print. Once dry, outline the letters and items using a black colored Tooli-Art Acrylic Paint Marker. Let dry for several hours until the paint is no longer tacky.

Rescued and Loved Design – Base coat the shell with 2 coats of white acrylic craft paint allowing for 45 minutes of drying time between coats. Once the paint is dry…use a set of BETEM Acrylic Paint Markers to write out the words, add the arrow with heart and the paw prints. Use the gold metallic paint marker to outline the seashell. Use the black paint marker to outline the letters in the words. Let dry for a few hours or until the paint is no longer tacky.

Finishing the Shells – You need to seal the design work and paint by covering it with a clear sealer. You can brush-on 1-2 light coats of Clear Mod Podge Sealer with a Glossy Finish or spray-on 1-2 light coats of a Clear Acrylic Spray Sealer. Let dry overnight. This will protect the painted finish…allow the seashells to be displayed inside or outside of the home.

If you enjoy painting on seashells or crafting with seashells…you’ll find over 150+ seashell craft projects right here on the Two Classy Chics blog! We will be sharing more seashell craft projects in the future too!

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Have you heard of the art form called Zentangle? Last year I heard about it for the first time and decided to give it a try. You can find all kinds of beginner’s information, lessons, resources, classes, etc. online by visiting this Zentangle website. Zentangle is an art form that anyone can learn including a beginner like me!!!

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Instead of painting my designs on art canvases…I chose to paint on large 4″ and 5″ wide clam shells seashells and flat-sided rocks. They’re a free resource for me living close to a beach. You can paint on just about anything! You can use all kinds of different paints with a brush or use acrylic paint markers which are great for those who are just learning this art form.

The first thing that I recommend that you do when painting on seashells and rocks is to base coat them with white paint. You can brush-on 1-2 coats of white acrylic paint or spray them with white spray paint. Let them thoroughly dry. By base coating them…they will help your other colors be more vibrant when you paint over top of them.

You can make simple Zentangle designs like the pink seashell and multi-colored one in the top left corner of the photo. You can also do more elaborate designs like the other 2 clam shells and rock that are shown in the photograph. For the designs, I like to sketch onto the surface using a pencil. This way I can erase anything that I don’t like. I then use Acrylic Paint Markers to color in the design.

I personally use and highly recommend two different acrylic marker sets:

* BETEM Acrylic Paint Markers – no drippy messes, no clogged tips, dual-ended tips (fine and medium), no foul paint odors and they dry super-quickly on most surfaces.

* Tooli-Art Paint Markers – these require you to shake and prime the marker before use. From time to time I get clogged tips and have to replace or clean them. However, I do like some of the vibrant colors plus…I do almost all of my outlining and wordage using a black Tool-Art Fine Tip Paint Marker.

I purchase both sets from Amazon and use both when I’m paining seashells and river rocks. BETEM is much more affordable than Tooli-Art if you’re comparing prices.

Once you have the design work done you need to let them thoroughly dry overnight. You need to seal the design with one of two different products. I use both….depending on the size of the product.

* Mod Podge Clear Sealer – I purchase the one that gives you a glossy finish. You’ll need to brush-on 1-2 light coats, allowing for 30-45 minutes of drying time between coats. It goes on white but dries crystal clear. I like using it because it doesn’t have any foul odors and it’s affordable.

* Spray-On Clear Sealer – There are several brands available. They come in a spray can. You can ONLY spray them outdoors. You will need 1-2 light coats with 45-60 minutes of drying time between coats. This option costs more than the first option.

If you enjoy painting on seashells or crafting with seashells…you’ll find over 150+ seashell craft projects right here on the Two Classy Chics blog! We will be sharing more seashell craft projects in the future too!

* This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may or may not receive a small commission which helps to support this site. Thank you!