A friend of mine owns and operates a motel in Wildwood, New Jersey. It’s a popular Jersey Shore destination and her motel is one of the nicest ones in North Wildwood. A few weeks ago I painted 25 of these little clam shells for the motel guests. We did a painted seashell treasure hunt around the property and the guests got to keep the seashells that they found. Just a little fun thing to do that the guests really enjoyed. Plus, they took them home as souvenirs from their trip!

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You can make these painted shells for any little occasion. They are really easy to make with no artistic skills required. You just need the seashells, acrylic craft paint, gorilla glue, alphabet beads and Mod Podge Clear Sealer.

The first thing you want to do is wash the shells in warmy soapy water. I like to use Dawn Liquid Dish Soap which is great at removing all of the sand, debris and fishy odors. Rinse with clean water and let them air dry overnight. They need to be completely dry before painting them.

Use a paint brush and acrylic craft paint to make the sandy beach, the white for the edge of the water and blue for the ocean water. You can vary the widths and shades as you see fit. Let the paint dry. Use small alphabet beads (used in jewelry making) to spell out whatever wordage that you would like. Adhere the beads to the shell using Gorilla Glue. Don’t use hot glue…that will NOT hold the beads indefinetely. I highly recommend that you use the Gorilla Glue or E6000 Adhesive. Let dry.

Seal in the paint by brushing on 1-2 light coats of Clear Glossy Mod Podge Sealer. I like to brush it onto both sides. This protects the paint and helps to keep the shell from deteriotating over time. You want your beautiful artwork to last! Let dry for several hours. That’s it, you’re done! I told you…easy!

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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Hosting a beach themed party and need table-top decorations? Party favors? Have an outside garden, swimming pool or deck that needs some color? If you answered YES to any of those questions I’ve got an easy arts & crafts project for you today! These adorable hand-painted Tropical Fish were made using clam shells seashells! You can make up an entire school of fish in just one weekend. No artistic skills required.

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You’ll need medium to large sized clam shells with smaller scallop or clam shells for the tails. Wash all seashells in warm, soapy water using Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. It’s the best for removing sand, debris and fishy odors. Rinse with clean water and air dry overnight.

I recommend that you glue the fish together using Gorilla Glue before painting the shells. You want seashell onto seashell contact for the BEST hold. Hot glue and craft glue don’t work! You’ll need Gorilla Glue (super glue) or E6000 Adhesive to attach the shells to one another. Let dry for a few hours or until they’re firmly held in place.

Now it’s time to get creative! I like seeing them painted in fun, bright colors! You can use any color combinations that you like. Keep the design simple or get elaborate. That’s entirely up to you. Use my photograph for reference and to give you some design ideas. Let all of the paint dry for 2-3 hours (let it cure) before moving onto the next step.

Protect the painted finish by brushing on 1-2 light coats of Clear Mod Podge Sealer in a Glossy Finish. They sell a matte finish if you prefer that. If you’re going to be placing them outside I recommend 2 coats on the front and back of the shell. If you’re going to display them inside…1 coat of sealer will do. Let dry for 1-2 hours or until they’re no longer tacky.

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