How do you paint seashells permanently?

Question

I don't want to paint pictures of shells. I want to paint the shells themselves. I heard that you're supposed to soak them in bleach first. Is that correct? I don't want the paint to easily come off when they're dry. Thank you

Answer 1

Seashells are porous so they hold the paint well. Its not necessary to bleach, just to soak in water and let them dry in the sun. You can bleach them though, it wont hurt and will clean them and remove any dirt and bacteria. I recommend using acrylic paints, these are permanent, and come in every color, and are easy to find in any craft store. If you want a softer look of the paint, dilute the Acrylics with some water, I would paint the entire shell a base white before applying other colors. Then let the paint dry in the sun. Next and most important, as you said you don't want your paint to scrape off or get scratched, purchase a Clear coat sealer, these are inexpensive and you will be able to get a lot of use out of one can. If you want a little shine to your shells, get a gloss or semi gloss, but they also come in flat matte. This final step is what will preserve the painting, and protect it from easily coming off :) here is a link for some of the paints and a Finisher- You might also like to try using the Acrylic Glossies paints, which can be baked in the oven and will give a hard ceramic like finish after they are baked. It might be interesting to try a few!

Answer 2

Painted Seashells

Answer 3

My grandmother has painted many kinds of things from the beach for a long time ie: rocks, seashells, and many other things. I have a lot of paintings she has done around my house. She soaks them all in a bleach, water mixture, then when she's done painting them she coats everything in varnish. That not only makes them look beautiful and shiny it keeps the paint on forever.

Answer 4

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Yes you can use spray paint on shells. Do a couple light coats, and let dry between the coats. Do one side, then turn over and do the other side. For less smell, I use Design Master spray paint. Available at Michael's, JoAnn's, Hobby Lobby and Ben Franklin's. Some Floral Supply places carry it also.

Answer 5

Soak them in a bleach/water mix for about 30 minutes and make sure the water is warm. Scrub them with a tooth brush to make sure all the dirt and debree is off. I would suggest using a vegatable based paint like henna. It will color it better and it is environmentally safe ^-^

Answer 6

Here's a site to tell how to clean the shells. After you paint some, why not try another technique? They take very to dyeing.
http://goflorida.about.com/od/beaches/a/shells_cleaning.htm

Answer 7

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