Classy and Opinionated Lifestyle Mom Blog
Ladybugs are one of those insects that I love seeing in my backyard! In our area we have red and orange colored ladybugs that like to hang around in my garden. Some people swear that when they find a ladybug that it always brings good …
These hand painted summer and beach themed seashells are the perfect little decorations for the summertime. They can be used as home decor accents or place them outside around the garden, front porch, deck, and swimming pool. They add a nice pop of color and …
Millions of people travel every year whether it’s for vacation or business. When people travel they naturally like to purchase souvenirs from the destination that they visited. Often times…those souvenirs are refrigerator magnets. How many are on the front of your refrigerator? We have several.
Instead of spending your money to buy them…make them and make them for pennies on the dollar! While traveling you’ll want to save your travel guides, paper maps, paper napkins from restaurants if they feature a logo/design, pamphlets, etc. Anything that is made from paper that features some place you visited while traveling. We used Tumbling Tower Blocks, a paper road map and photo’s from a travel guide to make the magnets you see featured today. We went camping at a state park and enjoyed hiking while on a weekend vacation. All of the paper souvenirs including the map were FREE.
Tumbling Tower Wood Blocks are sold at Dollar Tree and are similar to the Jenga game blocks that you see out in the retail marketplace. For this project we used the mini Tumbling Tower Game Blocks found in the toy and game aisle at your local DT store. Here’s what you’ll need to make the souvenir travel magnets.
Tumbling Tower Blocks Travel Souvenir Magnets
2-3 Wood Tumbling Tower Game Blocks
Gorilla Glue
Acrylic Craft Paints (desired colors)
Paint Brush, Water Dish, Paper Towels
Scissors
Modge Podge, Glossy Finish
Industrial Strength Craft Magnets
Paper Souvenir Items (see above)
The rectangle magnet was made by gluing 2 blocks together. The square was made by gluing 3 together using Gorilla Glue. Hot glue doesn’t work well, so use Wood Glue, Gorilla Glue, or E6000 Adhesive. Let dry for 2-3 hours.
Cut out the desired images from your paper souvenir items to fit onto your wood blocks. Paint the sides and back (leave the front unpainted) with your desired acrylic paint colors. We used 1-2 coats of paint. Let dry.
Brush on a layer of Modge Podge to the front of the block. Press the image down onto the Modge Podge. Smooth it out so there are no wrinkles or bubbles. Then brush on a second coat of Modge Podge on top of the image to seal it down. Let dry. Once dry…brush a coat of Modge Podge on the sides and back. Let dry again. The entire block has now been sealed.
Flip it over and glue on 2-3 round industrial strength craft magnets using Gorilla Glue or E6000 Adhesive. You want to use strong holding magnets so that your new souvenirs aren’t sliding down the refrigerator door every time it’s open and closed. Let dry for several hours. That’s it…you’re done!
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Do you like to decorate for the Patriotic holidays? If so, we’ve got an easy craft project to share with you today. Last week I sat down and painted these seashells all in an American patriotic design. You can display them all through the summer …
Country Farmhouse Tiered Trays are a fun way to add personality to your home. The trays don’t take up a lot of space and it’s easy to change out the decor as the seasons change. My tiered tray always contains a mixture of store bought …
This hand painted Woodlands Owl Seashell Paper Weight would make a great gift for Father’s Day or anyone on your gift-giving list who loves animals and the great outdoors. While we’re using it as a paper weight, it can be used as garden yard art too! Check out the 200+ painted seashell designs we have on the TCC blog!
You’ll need a large 4″ to 5″ clam shell collected from the beach. Wash it in hot, soapy water using Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. It’s the best for removing debris, sand, and fishy odors. Rinse with clean water and then let the shell air dry for 2-3 days. If needed, you can use an old toothbrush or a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to losen up stubborn debris.
Base coat the clam shell with 2 coats of black acrylic craft paint allowing for 45 minutes of drying time between coats.
The owl design is one we saw floating around on the internet and as you can see…it’s simple, no pattern needed!
For the owl’s head we used silver metallic acrylic paint and had to apply 3 coats of paint to get the coverage that we needed. Once dry you’ll want to add the 2 large white circles for the eyes. While they’re drying you can add the orange beak. Let dry for about an hour. Then go back and add the 2 smaller black circles for the pupils of his eyes and let thoroughly dry.
To protect the painted finish take the painted seashells outside and spray them with 2-3 light coats of a clear acrylic spray sealer. I like using one with a glossy finish, but you can certainly use a matte finish if you prefer that. Let dry for 2-3 hours. This will protect the painted surface from chipping, cracking, or the colors from fading.
Your new painted seashells can be displayed inside or outside of the home. Beautiful if displayed in a flower garden, on a front porch, or back deck. They look cute displayed indoors as part of a rustic cabin decor. The owl design would work for Halloween 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!
I love gardening and that includes inside and outside! Indoors I grow all kinds of different houseplants. Outside we have 4 flower beds and 2 vegetable ones. I’m always looking to beautify my spaces and to add color. Adding in a hand-crafted seashell plant pick …
All of my friends and family members know that I’m a crafter and collect just about anything to be upcycled into a new craft project. Needless to say, I have an entire shoebox full of broken jewelry that people have given to me over the …