Painting and crafting with seashells is something that I enjoy doing. I’ve been working with shells for over 30+ years. I use them to make windchimes, garlands, Christmas tree ornaments, centerpieces for tables, party favors, candle holders, trinket dishes and they’re great for outdoor yard art! You’ll find over 150+ seashell craft projects right here on the TCC blog.

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Zentangle is an art form that anyone can do. It’s basically doodling and doing abstract type of art on a surface. You can paint on a variety of different things: ceramic tiles, smooth river rocks, art canvases, seashells and more! I was first introduced to this type of art back in 2017 and have loved it ever since. Great for beginners and those with experience.

Recently I’ve started painting on 4″ to 6″ long Whelk Shells. Some people call them Conch Shells but they’re really Whelk Seashells that I’ve collected from the beach. When collecting shells…ONLY take empty shells! You never want to kill an animal to just obtain a shell. EVER!!! Please make sure they’re vacant and ONLY take a few!!!

Wash the whelk shell in warm soapy water using Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. It does a great job at removing sand, debris and fishy odors. Rinse thoroughly with clean water. Lay it out to air dry overnight.

Take it outside and spray it with 1-2 light coats of white acrylic paint. You need a white base layer which will help all of the colors “pop” once applied onto the seashell. Let dry.

Section of areas on the shell in various shapes or odd shapes like shown in the photos. I do that with a pencil. You can use a paint brush with acrylic craft paint or acrylic paint markers to color in each section. Work your way around the entire circumference of the shell until you have that completed.

Now it’s time to doodle and decorate it! You can do your doodles all in one color or in multiple colors. Do what appeals to you. There are really no rules when you’re making your own art. I like to use BETEM Acrylic Paint Markers and Tooli-Art Acrylic Paint Markers with fine tips to do all of the doodling, shading, coloring and outlining. Let the pain dry until it’s no longer tacky.

You need to seal the painted design to protect it from chips, cracks and from the vibrant colors from fading. You can spray 1-2 light coats of a Clear Acrylic Spray Sealer over-the-top or you can brush-on 1-2 coats of Clear Mod Podge Sealer. I like using ones that give them a glossy finish. Let dry for 1-2 days to allow everything to cure.

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Love cats? Got a kitty fur baby in your family? Check out this collection of 5 hand painted kitty cat designs! All of them have been painted onto medium and large clam shells that were collected from the beach. All of them are great for beginners who are just getting into seashell art. No patterns or templates are needed. Just a pencil and some paint supplies.

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Wash all shells in warm soapy water using Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. It does the best job at removing sand, debris and fishy odors. Rinse with clean water. Lay them out on a towel to dry overnight.

Base coat all of the clam shells in your desired color using acrylic craft paint and a paint brush. I used 1-2 coats with 30-45 minutes of drying time between coats. Let them thoroughly dry until the paint is no longer tacky.

Use a pencil to sketch on your desired design. All of the ones in the photographs were free-handed onto the shell’s surface using basic shapes like circles, ovals, tubes, triangles, etc. Keep it simple!!! They don’t have to look absolutely perfect. Matter of fact, small flaws keep them looking handmade.

Designs were colored in using BETEM Acrylic Paint Markers. They have dual-ended tips (a medium and fine tip). These paint markers require no priming, no leaky messes, no clogged tips, no foul paint odors and they dry quickly. They come in beautiful vivid colors and can be purchased from Amazon for an affordable price. Let the paint dry.

I like to outline all of the designs and write words onto the seashells using a fine tip Tooli-Art Black Paint Marker. I buy them in a pack that contains several black and white paint markers. I use those 2 colors the most when writing wordage and doing outline work. You can purchase them from Amazon. They take a little longer to dry than the BETEM paint markers mention above. Regardless, they’re great!

Once all of the paint has dried you need to seal it. I like sealing them with 2 light coats of Mod Podge Clear Sealer with a Glossy Finish. I brush it on…wait an hour for the first coat to dry and then apply a second light coat. It goes on white but dries crystal clear. It protects the painted finish. You can display the seashells inside or outside of the home once the design has been sealed.

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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