DIY Painted Seashell Craft Ideas
Seashell crafts are a great activity for a rainy day at the beach or as a way to bring a little sunshine into a winter day! This free tutorial teaches how to paint seashells and turn them into fun accessories.
What better way to bring a touch of the beach into your home than by transforming these ocean treasures into vibrant painted accessories?
On a rainy day on vacation, I thought it would be fun to do a craft with my kids, so I came up with the idea to paint seashells with nail polish!
We then turned the seashells into hair accessories!
If you prefer a video tutorial, check out the segment I did on our local news show demonstrating how to create these fun seashell crafts!
Creating painted seashell accessories is a delightful and potentially messy process, so setting up a dedicated workspace is essential. Lay down old newspapers or a drop cloth to protect your surfaces.
Step One: Supplies
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Hair Accessories from the craft store. I used bobby pin and ring blanks, and simple headbands.
- Seashells (you can buy these in bulk at the craft store)
- Nail Polish in various colors
- Hot Glue Gun & Glue
I just used seashells that I bought at the craft store, but you could do this for even less if you use ones that you collect yourself on the beach. If you use gathered shells, clean and thoroughly dry the shells to prepare them for painting.
Step Two: Paint
To begin, paint each of the shells with Nail Polish! Yep, you heard me right, nail polish is perfect for paining sea shells, it still lets the natural texture of the shell show through, dries quickly and comes in lots of fun colors.
My daughter and I sat down and painted all of the shells one afternoon.
Step Three: Attach to Accessories
Transform your painted seashells into functional pieces of art. Adorn a plain photo frame with a collage of painted seashells, creating a unique frame for your beach memories.
After you’re done painting the shells and they are dry, hot glue them to the accessories you chose.
To make the headband, I found it easiest to glue the shells first to the headband on the edges.
Then, I returned and filled the rest of the shell with hot glue to hold it better. Just be careful; the hot glue can bend your headband, so work slowly.
To make the rings and hair clips, fill the shell in with hot glue, as shown above, then glue the clip/ring to the back.
I think the headband is my favorite!
Gift Idea
These painted shells would also make cute gifts! Simply attach them to a piece of patterned cardstock!
Painting seashell accessories is a delightful and accessible way to bring the beauty of the beach into your home. With a splash of color and a touch of creativity, you can transform simple seashells into whimsical wonders that serve as both decorative and functional pieces. So, gather your seashells, pick up a paintbrush, and let your imagination flow!
