Gnomes are one of the hottest decorating accents in home decor. Every time I walk into a department store or discount store I see Gnomes everywhere! I see them on throw pillows, wall art, kitchen towels, bath linens, figural candles, painted onto the side of lanterns and all sorts of things! I have to admit, they’re cute and fun to look at.

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These painted Gnome Clam Shells Seashells are super easy to make! You don’t need any artistic or crafting skills. You’ll need 3″ to 5″ wide clam shells collected from the beach. Wash them in warm soapy water using Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. Rinse with clean water and air dry overnight.

Each clam shell was given 2 base coats of white acrylic craft paint using a paint brush. Allow for 30-45 minutes of drying time between coats.

All of the design work was made using BETEM Acrylic Paint Pen Markers. They have dual ended tips (a medium and fine tips). They require no priming, they don’t leak/drip, no foul paint odors and they dry quickly. Use a pencil to lightly draw the design onto the clam shell. It doesn’t need to be perfect! You can make chubby gnomes or skinny gnomes. You can decorate the hat any way that you like…use any colors that you prefer!

Color in the larger areas using the medium tip and the smaller areas using the fine tip. Then go back over the design using BLACK and the fine tip to do the outlining. If you’re adding facial features…the fine tip is perfect for that too. When it comes to adding wordage…I like using the fine tip as it looks a lot crisper (the words). Let dry.

Seal the clam shells by brushing on 1-2 light coats of Glossy Clear Mod Podge using a foam brush. Allow 45 minutes of drying time between coats. Let dry until it dries clear and is no longer tacky. Sealing protects the painted finish.

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Got a fisherman in your life? Just love fish and aquariums? If so, I think you’ll appreciate these colorful hand-painted fish designs complete with funny sayings. All you’ll need for this easy art project are 4″ to 5″ wide clam shells (seashells), acrylic craft paint and a few other basic supplies. These shells were painted by my 15 year old granddaughter and I. No template or pattern is needed!

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Base coat the clam seashells with blue acrylic craft paint using a paint brush. You may need to use 2 coats of paint with 30 minutes of drying time between each coat. The paint needs to thoroughly dry before decorating the shells.

We used a pencil to draw a fish shape onto each seashell. Then we used BETEM Acrylic Paint Markers to color in the design and to add accents like the stripes, faux fish scales, etc. These acrylic paint markers have dual tips (a medium tip and a fine tip) which makes them perfect for this type of project. No priming, no mess and they dry fast!

Once all of the coloring is done you need to do the outlining with the black fine tip pain marker. Don’t forget to add an eye! Use that same fine tip paint marker to write a fish related saying or quote onto the seashell. Let dry for 2-4 hours to allow the paint to thoroughly dry.

Seal the painted design by brushing on 1-2 light coats of Clear Glossy Mod Podge Sealer. This will protect the painted finish and keep the colors nice and bright. PLUS, you can display the painted seashells inside or outside of the home. They add a nice pop of color around a pool area or in a flower garden.

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