Decorating for the winter season can be challenging. A lot of “winter themed” items remind me of the Christmas holiday. The theme I like to go with is anything related to snow. You know…sledding, ice skating, snow ball fights, snowmen, snowman, snowflakes, skiing, snow boarding, etc. Winter activities that are popular in the northeast.

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These snowflake design clam shells are easy-to–make! You really don’t need any artistic skills to make them. We decoupage the design onto clam shells, scallop shells and cockle shells that we collected from the beach. You can buy them inexpensively at your local craft store and from Amazon if you don’t live near the coast.

At my local Dollar Tree store I found a pack of tissue paper in the gift wrap section that had an all-over snowflake print. The snowflakes vary in size making them perfect this project. Tissue paper is easy to work with…in my honest opinion…easier than using paper napkins which get wrinkles when applying them.

To get started you want to base coat all of the seashells with 2 coats of white acrylic craft paint. Allow for 30 minutes of drying time between coats. While the paint is drying…cut out the snowflakes from the tissue paper. I just cut close to the edge but wasn’t being perfect about it. All of mine ended up just being “circles” that I cut out.

Center the tissue paper motif onto the seashell. Use a foam brush and Mod Podge Clear Sealer to adhere it onto the shell. I place a “light” coat of Mod Podge down first. Then place the tissue paper motif on top. Use your fingers to gently smooth it out. Use the foam brush to apply a layer of Mod Podge on top. Let dry for 1-2 hours or until it’s no longer tacky.

If you want to add a colorful border around the shells you can do that using Betem Acrylic Paint Markers or using a paint brush with acrylic craft paint. I think it gives a nice finishing touch to each shell. Let dry. If you’re going to be displaying them indoors you’re done! If you want to display them outside you’ll need to add an additional coat of Mod Podge on all sides of the shell. Let dry overnight.

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Got a sport’s fan in the family? Do you cheer on a particular athletic team? If so, today’s hand painted seashell project is for you! These painted clam shells are easy-to-make! The designs were painted on large 4″ and 5″ wide clam shells that we collected from the beach. In addition to the seashells…you’ll need acrylic craft paint, paint brush, acrylic paint pens and a bottle of clear acrylic spray sealer.

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We live in central Pennsylvania, so all of the designs that we made reflect Pennsylvania athletic teams. These painted seashells can be used as garden & yard art, as paper weights on a desk, displayed on a shelf or used as party favors. They make a great inexpensive gift for the sport’s fan in your life!

For all of the designs you want to wash the clam shells in warm soapy water using Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. Let them soak in the soapy water for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with clean water and air dry overnight. Why Dawn? It’s the best at removing sand, debris and fishy odors!

Base coat each clam shell in the desired color. We used 2 coats of acrylic craft paint with 30 minutes of drying time between coats. The paint needs to be completely dry before you decorate them.

Phillies – Base coat is red.
Philadelphia Eagles – Base coat is green.
Pittsburgh Steelers – Base coat is black.
Penn State – Base coat is navy blue.

To decorate them we used Acrylic Paint Pens. Why paint pens? They’re easier to use when writing out words, outlining items or adding smaller details. We used medium-tip paint pens with these designs. You can write just the team’s name on the seashell or added a decoration like a logo, baseball, football, hockey stick, goal posts, basketball, etc.

Once all of the paint is dry you need to take them outside. Spray each side of the shell with 1-2 coats of a Clear Acrylic Spray Sealer. We used one with a glossy finish. You can purchase them in glossy or matte finishes. Let dry for a few hours. This will protect the painted surface and help to preserve the shell.

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