Looking for a beautiful door stop for your coastal beach style home? If so, my craft project today is perfect for you! You can complete this project in one afternoon. You can leave the Whelk shell naturally or paint and decorate it to your heart’s content. I have 3 of them throughout my coastal home and have given several others as gifts.

When using them…just stick the narrow end (or the tail shaped end) underneath the door to hold it open. The seashell is weighty enough to keep it in place. These shells look 100% prettier than a block of wood, rock or other unattractive thing!

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You’ll need several Whelk Shells collected from the beach. Please…ONLY take vacant seashells! Don’t kill animals to just obtain the shells. If it’s inhabited please put it back. I like to use Whelk Shells measuring at least 5″ in lenth. Wash the shell with warm soapy water. I like to use Dawn Liquid Dishwashing Soap. Why Dawn? It does the best job at removing sand, debris and fishy odors. Soak the shell in the soapy water for 30-60 minutes and then rinse clean. Air dry.

The Natural Look – If you want to keep the natural look of the shell just take it outside and spray it with 2 coats of a Clear Acrylic Spray Sealer. This will help to protect the shell and give it a nice shine. It also helps to bring out the natural colors.

Painted & Decorated Look – You can paint them any color that you would like. I painted the one shown in the photograph with a light metallic blue color. Metallic paints take a little longer to dry compared to an acrylic paint. The shell was given 2 coats of paint with 1 hour of drying time between coats.

Take the painted shell outside and spray with 2 coats of a Clear Acrylic Spray Sealer. Let dry until it’s no longer tacky. Takes about an hour or less if it’s a hot sunny day.

When adding decorations like buttons, rhinestones, beads, charms, mini seashells, faux pearls, etc. I don’t recommend that you use hot glue. They tend to fall off rather quickly. Instead….I recommend that you use Gorilla Glue with a fine tip nozzle. You only need a “tad” of glue and you’ll get a very strong bond. Let it dry overnight. I used half faux pearls on the one in the photograph and attached them with Gorilla Glue.

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Love dogs or know someone who does? Looking for something handcrafted and unique to give to that dog lover in your life? These hand painted clam shells seashells make the perfect gift for anyone on your list! They can be used a decorative art accents in the home, as a paper weight on a desk or place them outside in your garden as yard art. All 4 designs are easy to make and require no artistic skills!

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You’ll need to collect 4 large clam shells from the beach. We used 4″ to 5″ wide clam seashells. Wash them with Dawn Liquid Dish Soap (let soak in the soapy water for 30 minutes) and then rinse clean. Let air dry. Why Dawn? It does the best job at removing debris, sand and fishy odors.

Base coat the clam shells in the desired color. You can copy our designs or add your own unique twist. We used 2 coats of acrylic paint for the background allowing for 30 minutes of drying time between coats.

Now it’s time to decorate them! I recommend that use you Acrylic Paint Markers. My preferred inexpensive brand is BETEM Acrylic Paint Markers. They require no priming, no drippy messes and no foul odors! Plus, the acrylic paint dries quickly which is always an added bonus!!! Don’t use children’s markers which run and bleed!

Dog Sayings We Used:

My Windows Aren’t Dirty that is Nose Art
This Home is Full of Wags and Wiggles
Love has Four Paws
Live Love Bark

Use the acrylic paint markers to add the wordage first. Then add the decorations around the words. You can add hearts, paw prints, bones, etc. Decorate them however you like. My photos will give you some great guidance. Let all of the paint dry overnight.

To protect the painted surface you need to brush on 1-2 coats of clear Mod Podge Sealer. I used one that has a glossy finish which I really like the shine that it adds to the shells. This will help to protect the painted finish. You can display them inside or outside once you’ve sealed them (seal both sides of the seashell if displaying them outside). Let dry overnight.

Love painting clam shells or crafting with seashells? We have over 100 seashell arts and craft projects on the TCC blog. Check them all out while you’re here!

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