Painted Shells- Idea!

These are some of my favorite crafts. They're beautiful to give as gifts, and as with any craft- customizable. I paint a number of different types of shells but these mussel like shells are my favorite and they have personal meaning as well. I found them along the shore of a Minnesota lake I was staying at with my family. First step is to make sure they're clean of dirt and mud. Usually soapy water works but before I've had to soak them in vinegar to get grim off.

After that, I paint my design on the outside of the shell in acrylic paint and then varnish (generic spray varnish works great, NOTE: I've never had any issue with the paint peeling away even without varnish). I chose not to paint the inside because of the beautiful, natural sheen on the inside of the shells. However, it's your choice and depends on the shell. I find the shells very pretty and handy for gifts; they can be used for decorations or if given to a girl, to hold small jewelry. The shell's I used are perfect to hold some earrings.

My final touch on most shells is the gold paint edging. I continue this onto the inside of the shell as you can vaguely see on the right.