Classy and Opinionated Lifestyle Mom Blog
I love decorating my home for the summer season. Every year I look forward to getting out my seashells, fishing nets, paddles, mini surf boards, flip-flops, etc. Every room in my home gets the summer touch! Last month I hosted a small backyard barbecue and …
One of the hottest arts and craft trends has been rock painting and seashell painting for the past couple of years. I admit, I’ve been painting on seashells and clam shells for the past 15+ years. I love exploring my creativity painting on shells! I …
Mason jar lids (seals) make the perfect painting surface for kids. They can paint designs on the lids and use them as holiday ornaments, refrigerator magnets, turn them into garden decor, etc. My grandchildren love painting and this project doesn’t cost a lot of money because they’re upcycling my used canning jar seals.
The designs you see in this post were painted by a 7 year old, 10 year old and a 13 year old. I think they did a great job plus it kept them busy for HOURS. It’s a great rainy day project or winter-time project when it’s too cold for the kids to play outside.
Painting Mason Jar Lids
Used Metal Mason Jar Lids (seals)
Sharp Hole Punch or Drill (if turning into ornaments)
Clear Fishing Line or Ribbon (if making ornaments)
Strong Craft Magnets (if turning them into refrigerator magnets)
Strong Craft Glue (if making magnets)
Variety of Acrylic Craft Paints
Paint Brushes
Water Dish, Paper Towels
Modge Podge, Glossy Finish
Kids are messy painters so cover the work surface before you begin. I also recommend craft aprons or have them wear an old t-shirt for this project.
If you’re going to make ornaments the hole needs to be punched before you begin painting. Make sure there are no sharp edges.
Let the kids be creative all on their own by painting any design that they like. My grandchildren typically do seasonal designs depending on the time of the year they’re working on the project. The background color should always be painted first, sometimes you’ll need 2 coats of that color. Once it’s dry…they can paint their design on top.
Once all of the painting has been done let them dry for 3-5 hours or until the paint is no longer tacky. To preserve the painted finish from chipping and cracking…they need coated with 1-2 light coats of Modge Podge. We like using one with a glossy finish. Allow for 2-3 hours of drying time.
Finishing up: If turning them into holiday ornaments you need to add a hanging string or ribbon. If you’re turning them into refrigerator magnets you need to glue a magnet or two onto the back. That’s it…done!
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My wonderful mother-in-law passed away a few years ago. She was the best mother-in-law that I could of asked for! Always supportive, helpful, and loving. Accepted me as a daughter-in-law from day one. We had a close relationship with one another. I loved her and …
A friend of mine makes a lot of arts and crafts to sell them at local craft shows and fairs. Her items are always in high demand because 1. She does great work and 2. Because she keeps her prices affordable. None of her crafts …
I love to collect seashells and use them in various arts and craft projects around my home. I’ve used seashells to make windchimes, refrigerator magnets, Christmas tree oraments, figurines, table decorations, as party favors, and so much more! They’re a FREE resource given to us by nature! Love to paint on shells? You’ll find 100+ painted seashell designs on the TwoClassyChics blog!
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The 3 larger designs were painted on large 4″ to 5″ wide clam shells. The smaller design was painted on a 3″ wide clam shell. You need to wash all seashells in warm soapy water to remove sand, debris, and fishy odors before crafting with them. Let them thoroughly air dry before painting on them.
You want to start out by base coating the shell with 2 coats of acrylic craft paint in the desired color. Allow for 30 minutes of drying time between coats. The designs were painted with acrylic craft paints along with a paint brush. The smaller accents and wordage was done with acrylic paint pens. Free-handed designs were first sketched onto paper with a pencil and then sketched onto the shell.
The 4 Beach Summer Designs that I made feature the following:
* Summer Sunshine
* Lighthouse with Sunset Background
* Seagull
* Seas the Day Sunrise over the Ocean
These designs are EASY to do! You don’t need to be a professional artist at all. I’m certainly not. If you’re not comfortable free-handing the designs you can always find FREE Templates using Google Image Search. You’ll have to resize the images to fit onto the shells before printing out the templates. If you don’t wnt to mess with any of that then I recommend picking up 3″ size beach stencils to make painting the designs super easy.
Once the paint has dried it’s important that you preserve the seashell by spraying it with 1-2 light coats of a Clear Acrylic Spray Sealer. This will preserve the shell and protect the painted finish. Plus, you can display them inside or outside of the home. If you’re displaying them outside…I suggest 2 generous coats of spray on each side of the shell.
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Crafting using wood Scrabble Tiles has grown in popularity over the past few years. I admit, I like using them when I’m making personalized arts and craft projects like holiday ornaments, refrigerator magnets or adding a name to a picture frame. They’re versatile and you …
This hand painted Woodlands Fox Seashell would be the perfect accent to decorate your flower garden, front porch, back deck, or use inside the home. You don’t have to be an expert artist to make it. You just need a large clam shell, some acrylic …