Summer DIY- Painted Seashell Trinket Dishes

This is such a fun and easy DIY! Perfect for one of those summer days when the kids (or you!) are bored. My 16 year old son didn’t want to participate but my 10 year old daughter loved it! I think it would definitely be a hit with all younger kids and tween/teen girls. This would also be so much fun for a girls night craft! Wine, snacks, shell painting? Yes, please!

You only need a few things: acrylic paints, paint brushes, seashells and glossy mod podge. I love crafts that don’t require buying anything new. I had all of these paints on hand as well as the brushes and mod podge. The seashells are also the real thing. I have a pretty crazy collection of shells from our travels to the Outer Banks so I chose a handful of them that were a nice size. If you don’t have any collected shells, you can grab a set like this off of amazon or purchase a bag from the craft store.

The first thing I did was give the inside of each shell a nice base coat of white paint. This way, you have a blank canvas to start with. I did 3 coats of white, letting it dry fully in between coats.

I’m a firm believer in romanticizing the little moments so I set up our little shell painting station next to the pool and clipped some hydrangeas from one of my bushes in the back yard. We enjoyed taking a break from swimming to flex our creative muscles and cool off under the umbrella.

I didn’t take any photos of the painting process because I was SO deeply invested and enjoying every moment. Not only do I love painting but seashells are one of my favorite things on earth. Any time we’re on the coast, you will find me shelling. So, this was totally zen for me and I didn’t want to stop. Anyway, you really don’t need any painting skills for this. Just use the brushes to create stripes, dots, tiny flowers, etc.

After you’re finished painting and the shells are dry, add a couple of coats of mod podge. This seals the paint and gives the shell a glossy, glass-like finish. I hope you enjoy making these painted seashell trinket dishes! As always, if you have any questions feel free to leave a comment or send me an email. Happy crafting!