Mickey Mouse Seashell Birthday Party Favors

A friend of mine is hosting a birthday party for her 4 year old son in a few weeks. The theme for his party is Disney's Mickey and Minnie Mouse. She asked me to help her make some decorations and unique party favors for the upcoming event.

We decided to paint some seashells that feature an image of Mickey Mouse or Minnie Mouse on the front. We're NOT artists, so we needed the design to be easy to paint. This is what we came up with and guess what? You can whip up several of them in one afternoon! Plus, they don't cost a lot of money to make.

You will need to collect large clam seashells from the beach. Wash and thoroughly dry them. Base coat each one with 2 coats of red acrylic craft paint. If you're making several of them to use as party favors...do it in an assembly line fashion. After they're all dry...move on to the next part.

Use Google to find a FREE Mickey Mouse (head) image. We found one that we liked, re-sized it, printed it out and used scissors to cut it out....use this as your template. Place it onto the shell and use a black Sharpie Marker to trace around it.

You'll need 2 coats of black acrylic craft paint to fill in the image, allowing 15-20 minutes of drying time between each coat of paint. You can use a Sharpie Marker to add a child's name, birth day, or other wordage onto the shell. Let everything dry.

Take them outside and spray them with a coat of clear acrylic spray sealer. We used a glossy-finish, but you can certainly use a matte finish. Let them dry for several hours. This is a project that the kids can do too!

Pallet Wood Seashell Covered Seahorse Wall Art

Last month I made this adorable seashell covered seahorse by using pallet wood and seashells that I've collected from the beach. It stands a little over 2 foot tall and is now hanging on the wall in our sun room. It took my husband one afternoon to do the wood portion and it took me 3 days to do the seashells.

If you're interested in learning how I made it along with assembly tips you'll want to check out my post over on my other blog TwoClassyChics.com. The Coastal Craft: Seashell Covered Seahorse Wall Art has become one of my most popular posts over on the blog, so I wanted to mention it over here too.

Living at the beach or traveling to the beach often has its perks! I used over 250+ shells to make it. You'll need to collect a lot of tiny, small and medium-sized seashells if you plan on making one. The pallet wood was FREE (hubby gets those at work, brings them home, tears them a part) and we use them in various craft and landscaping projects around our home.

I love the coastal and beach lifestyle, so I'm always making new projects that work with that home decor theme. Since completing the seahorse, I'm already working on a dolphin, whale and mermaid tail one too. They're easy to make, but do take several days to complete. My only expense was a few nails, screws, wood glue, E6000 adhesive glue, clear acrylic spray sealer and a sawtooth hanger on the back so that I could hang it up. That's about it!

Kid's Crafts Painted Seashells Beach Vacation Memories

This past June we took both of our grandchildren down to the beach for summer vacation. The kids enjoy playing in the sand, jumping waves in the ocean and collecting seashells from the beach. Over the years I've taught them to ONLY collect the un-occupied shells and to put occupied shells back onto the beach.

Like most kids...they love collecting seashells and when we got home we had 3 bags of shells that we could use for crafting and home decorating. We decided to paint on a few of the larger clam shells that we collected that measure at least 5" in width. Before you paint on them you'll want to wash them really well with liquid dish soap and water. Let them dry for out in the sunshine until completely dry. It's important to remove the debris, sand, and the smell.

You can use acrylic craft paints and paint brushes or you can use acrylic paint pens or markers. My 10 year old granddaughter made the one shown in the photograph using ONLY acrylic paint pens that we purchased from Amazon. They're great if you want a no-mess craft project to do with the kids, plus they dry quickly.

The Princess painted a beach scene featuring glistening, golden, sandy beach, waves crashing onshore, the Atlantic Ocean in the background with sea gulls flying above. I think she did a really nice job! On the back of the shell she wrote her name and the date. To protect the painted design we sprayed them with 2 coats of clear acrylic spray sealer and left them dry overnight.

Painting on seashells that you collected while on vacation is a great way for children to preserve those beach vacation memories. Plus, it's a frugal craft and will cost you less than 50 cents to make (paint supplies), since the seashells are free!

Teacher's Gifts: Painted Seashell Paper Weights

The end of the school year is approaching and my grandchildren needed a few end of the year Teacher's gifts. Every year we buy their teacher a small gift and then have the kids handcraft one too. I feel its important to let kids be artistically creative and this project is fun for them to complete.

For our project we used large 4" and 5" wide clam seashells that we collected off of the beach. Wash them with a little bit of soapy water (to remove sand and debris) and let them thoroughly dry before painting on them. This size of a clam shell is weighty and makes great paper weights for the teacher's desk.

Teacher's Gifts: Painted Seashell Paper Weights

Large, Clean, Clam Shells (see note above)
Acrylic Craft Paints
Paper Towels, Water Dish, Paint Brush
Medium-Tip White Paint Pen
Clear Acrylic Spray Sealer, Glossy Finish

Have the child base coat their large clam shell with their desired color of paint. We wanted our seashells to resemble a blackboard, so we painted them with 2 coats of black acrylic craft paint. Leave them dry for 60-90 minutes or until the paint is no longer tacky.

Once the paint is dry...have the child hand-write the teacher's name using the medium-point white paint pen. Let them write out the name which shows off that child's penmanship. They can use additional paint colors to add polka dots or other fun little designs around the outer edge of the seashell if they want to add color and/or additional decoration. Let dry for 60-90 minutes or until paint is no longer tacky.

Tip: To make the perfect circular polka-dots have the child dip the end of their paint brush (non-bristle end) into wet paint and then place the wet end (tip) onto the seashell. Perfect polka dots every time! Have them re-dip the end into wet paint before "dotting" on a new polka dot each time.

After they're done drying have an adult take them outside. Lay them down onto a plastic placemat, old table cloth or drop cloth. Lightly spray them with 2 coats of clear acrylic spray sealer. We like the glossy finish, but you could certainly use matte finish if you prefer that look. Let them dry for 60-90 minutes. This will preserve the painted design and help to prevent cracking and crazing over the years. That's it, you're done!

Looking for more fun kid's craft projects? Adult DIY craft projects? You'll find over 400+ craft projects over on our "sister" blog called TwoClassyChics. All of our craft projects are inexpensive and easy to do!!!

Kid's Crafts Painted Seashell Paperweights

Looking for a fun craft project to do with the kids that won't cost you a lot of money? All you need for this easy-to-make project are some large clam seashells and craft paints. Once completed they will have made a beautiful and unique seashell paperweight. A great end of the school year teacher's gift too!

If you enjoy crafting with seashells you'll want to check out the 100+ Seashell Craft Projects that we've published over on our TwoClassyChics blog. You'll find hundreds of fun and easy designs over there too!!!

Kid's Crafts: Painted Seashell Paperweights

Large Clam Shell Seashell
Acrylic Craft Paints, Various Metallic and Glitter Colors
Acrylic Craft Paint Pen in White
Paint Brush, Water Dish, Paper Towels

Wash and thoroughly dry seashells. We used large clam shells that measure at least 4 1/2" in width. We recommend washing them in hot, soapy water and letting them air-dry out in the hot sun. Make sure all of the sand and debris has been removed.

Cover work surface with sheets of old newspaper or an old plastic drop cloth. Kids can get messy when they're using paints.

Have each child give their seashell two base coats of paint in their desired color. We used metallic paints and glitter paints that can be found in any craft supply store for about $1.00 per bottle. Using the metallic colors give your seashells a nice glossy finish. Using glitter paints give them sparkle. Once the base coating is done...let them dry for about an hour.

Let the children come up with their own designs and color schemes! Its important that we let them be creative without a lot of input from us. Not every craft that a child makes needs to be "Pinterest Worthy" if you know what I mean. Plus, we can all tell when a craft was made by an adult and NOT by a child! Sigh, I wish people would just be honest!

For these designs my 10 year old granddaughter base coated both seashells with a bubblegum pink color. One was done with metallic paint and one was done with glitter paint. She then used a white colored paint pen to write the word MERMAID on one shell and her nick-name on the other shell. She dipped the end of her paint brush into royal blue and purple metallic paints and added a dotted border around the MERMAID seashell. Kids could use cotton swabs dipped into paint to get the perfect-sized polka dots too.

They can paint on nature-inspired designs, animals, just names and words, rainbow colors, etc. Whatever their little hearts desire. Once they're done decorating them you'll want to let them thoroughly dry for 2-3 hours. If they're giving them as a gift I recommend letting them take a Sharpie Marker and writing a message on the back side of the shell, along with their name and the date. In other words, autograph their artwork. Fun!

These type's of kid's craft projects don't cost a lot of money. If you live near the beach or will be visiting one on summer vacation...pick up some of those large clam shells you see lying around on the beach. Don't have access to seashells? You can do this same project using smooth river rocks too.

Kid's Crafts: Painted Seashells for Spring and Easter

Looking for a fun craft project to do with the kids? To make these adorable painted seashells you'll need to collect a few large clam shells found lying around on the beach. If you don't have access to seashells, you can try adjusting the designs and using smooth river rocks or another type of found object from nature.

We completed this craft project with a group of kids ages 9 to 12 years of age. I will describe each design briefly, but they're pretty easy to figure out by just viewing the photographs. You can use these designs to inspire your own. Looking for more fun easy-to-make Seashell Craft Projects? You can find over 100+ different projects on our TwoClassyChics blog.

PAINTED EASTER DESIGN SEASHELL

We used purple metallic acrylic craft paint to give the shell 2 base coats of paint. We left it dry for about 40 minutes. Use a white medium-tip paint pen to write the word EASTER. Let dry for 30 minutes. Dip the end of your paint brush into medium pink paint and add your polka dots around the border. Dip the end of your paint brush into teal green paint and add polka dots around the border, between the pink dots. Let dry.

PAINTED SPRING FLOWER DESIGN SEASHELL

Base coat your shell in your desired color. We used 2 coats of lavender colored craft paint. Let dry. We decided to do a free-hand easy floral design by using white craft paint and making 4 tear drop shaped petals. Have the points of each tear drop over-lap in the center to form the flower. Use green acrylic craft paint to make the stem and leaves. Dip the end of your paint brush in pink paint to dot on the center of the flower. While that's drying you'll want to add your polka dots around the border of your seashell. Let dry.

PAINTED EASTER BUNNY DESIGN SEASHELL

This design will take longer to make and you'll need 1 large clam shell and 2 smaller slipper shells, along with craft paint and glue to make it. When gluing seashells together we recommend using E6000 Adhesive Glue and recommend that an adult to do that step. The adhesive is powerful, so avoid contact with your skin.

Give all three of your seashells 2 base coats of white paint. Let dry. Use pink paint to make an oval shaped nose. Use a black medium-tip paint pen to draw on the oval shaped eyes, outline the nose, add the whiskers and the mouth. Let dry. Use pink paint to add the color to the bunny's inner ears on the slipper shells. Set aside to dry. Dip the end of your paint brush into white paint and dot on the inner eyes. Let thoroughly dry. Once everything is dry you'll use the E6000 Adhesive Glue to attach the slipper shell ears to the top of the head. Glue them on the back side of the large clam shell and be generous with the amount of glue that you use. Let dry for 4-6 hours.

To Finish: Take all of your finished designs outside and lay them down onto an old plastic table cloth or placemat. Give each one a light coat of clear acrylic spray sealer. Wait 20 minutes and spray them with a second coat. You'll want to do this on both sides! Let thoroughly dry. You can now display them inside or outside your home. It's important to spray them which will help to protect the painted finish from chipping, cracking or crazing...and will prevent the colors from fading over time.

Kid's Crafts: Mother's Day and Father's Day Painted Seashells

We visit the beach several times every year and often times we take our grandchildren down to the shore along with us. The kids enjoy playing on the beach and collecting seashells, especially large clam shells that they find along the shoreline.

Like most kids...my grandchildren enjoy easy-to-make craft projects and as a grandparent, I love that this project doesn't cost me a lot of money...basically just painting supplies. You can have the kids hand paint these large clam shells (seashells) to give as Valentine's Day, Mother's Day Gifts, Father's Day Gifts, etc. My granddaughter is working on one that she's going to give to her school teacher at the end of this school year.

For this project we used large clam shells that measure 4 1/2" to 6" in width. You want to wash them with a little bit of soapy water, rinse them and then let them thoroughly dry. Make sure all sand and debris has been removed.

Cover your work surface with an old drop cloth, plastic table cloth, old newspaper, etc. Give the kids some acrylic craft paints, paint brushes, a water dish and some paper towels. Have the kids give each seashell 2 base coats of paint. Let them dry for 60-90 minutes or until the paint is no longer tacky.

Let the kids come up with their own artist designs and let them paint whatever they want on the top of the seashell. For this project they worked on Father's Day and Mother's Day designs. One seashell says "Mom" and one says "Dad". The smaller one has a heart design painted on it and my granddaughter gave that one to her Mom for Valentine's Day.

You will want to let the painted seashells dry overnight. Then take them outside and spray 1-2 coats of clear acrylic spray sealer on top. This will protect the painted finish from chipping, cracking or crazing. These painted seashells can be displayed inside or outside of your home. They look beautiful displayed in the garden, a flower bed, on the front porch or back deck!

Kid's Crafts: Painted and Glitter Seashell Christmas Ornaments

During our beach walks my grandchildren will collect hundreds of seashells that wash up onto the beach. We collect them in our mesh bags and then wash/dry them once we return from vacation. So, what do you do with all of those seashells the kids collected? Turn them into fun Christmas and holiday ornaments with just a few basic craft supplies! For this project we used small clam shells which worked perfectly for the project! 

Kid's Crafts: Painted and Glitter Seashell Christmas Ornaments

Clean Seashells

Acrylic Craft Paints

Paint Brush, Water Dish, Paper Towels
Clear Fishing Line
Scissors
Clear Acrylic Spray Sealer with Glitter
All-Purpose Craft Glue
Sheets of Old Newspaper

Lay newspaper down on your work surface. Let the kids paint their seashells in solid or multi-colors. They can paint elaborate or really simple designs. We opted to paint our's in a solid color using 2 coats of acrylic paint. Left them dry for 30 minutes and then used acrylic paint to add a simple "polka dot" design. Let them dry for 45-60 minutes.

While the paint is drying you'll want to make hanging loops for all of your new ornaments. We used clear fishing line. Cut a piece that measures approximately 4 1/2" to 5" in length. Tie it into a loop and knot the ends together. Trim ends if needed. Set aside.

Take 2 sheets of newspaper outside. Lay them onto the newspaper. Lightly spray a coat of clear acrylic sealer with glitter onto the painted side of the shell. You don't need a lot! This sealer will protect the painted surface and add a shimmer to it thanks to the fine-grade glitter inside it. Let them dry for 1 hour.

Bring them back inside. If the clam shell has a tiny hole in the end (some do, some don't) you can add your hanging loop through the hole. If not, you can glue the hanging loop to the backside of the shell. Let dry for 2-3 hours. That's it, you're done!!!  

You can hang them on your Christmas tree or use them as holiday package toppers. A great way for kids to use up some of those seashells that they collected during summer vacation. 

Craft Project: Scrabble Tile Personalized Christmas Ornaments

We enjoy making our own Christmas tree ornaments and giving them away to family & friends during the holiday season. This year we decided to make these super-easy Scrabble Tile Personalized Christmas Ornaments! You will only need a few craft supplies to make them.

Once completed you can attach them to your holiday packages (as gift toppers), use them as place settings on your holiday table or just hand them out as your classic Christmas tree ornament.

Craft Project: Scrabble Tile Personalized Christmas Ornaments

Wood Scrabble Tiles
Wood Glue
Satin Ribbon
Scissors
Metal Eye Hooks
Drill with Small Drill Bit

You will need to use a drill to put a small hole in the top of a Scrabble Tile. You will want to do it with the First letter tile of the word that you're spelling. You will then screw in the metal eye hook into that hole. If it doesn't fit tightly, you can add a tad of wood glue into the hole. Let dry.

Lay out your tiles in the order that you need them for each of the words that you're spelling. Glue them together with just a tiny amount of the wood glue and lay them flat to dry. I laid mine out on an old cookie sheet that I then threw away. You want to lay them down onto a surface that they won't stick to if the glue oozes out. A sheet of aluminum foil would work well too. Let them dry.

Once they're dry use scissors to cut satin ribbon in a length of 6" long. Use that ribbon to make a bow around the metal eye hook. You can cut another length of satin ribbon and thread it through the eye hook if you want to make a hanging loop. I opted to not do that as I like the look of just hanging them onto the tree with an ornament hook.

You can decorate them even further by adding tiny seashells, artificial flowers, rhinestones, faux jewels, etc. That's entirely up to you. Easy project!

Preschool Crafts: Easy Snowman Refrigerator Magnets

Working with a preschool group of children and looking for an easy-to-make holiday craft project? If so, we've got one for you today! This project utilizes just a handful of general craft supplies that can be picked up at your local craft store. If you want to save time, you could paint the wood circles ahead of time with white craft paint and then let the kids add the facial features. If you didn't want to mess with paint, you could have the children use black and orange markers.

Preschool Crafts: Easy Snowman Refrigerator Magnets

2" or 3" Round Unfinished Wood Circles
White Acrylic Craft Paint
Black Acrylic Craft Paint
Orange Acrylic Craft Paint
Paint Brush, Water Dish, Paper Towels
Peel & Stick Magnet
Cotton Swab
Round Wood Toothpick

Paint the unfinished round wood circles with 2 coats of white acrylic craft paint. Let dry. Dip the cotton swab into black acrylic craft paint and dot on the snowman's 2 eyes. Dip the end of a round wooden toothpick into black paint and dot on his mouth. Have the kids use a fine-tip paint brush to paint on a triangular shaped carrot nose using orange acrylic craft paint. Let dry.

Once all of the paint has dried, flip them over and add the peel-n-stick magnet on the back. You'll want to use heavy-duty magnets. Make sure they're strong enough to hold the wooden snowman to the refrigerator without sliding down. That's it, you're done!

Kid's Crafts: Penguin Popsicle Stick Christmas Ornaments

These cute Penguin Popsicle Stick Christmas Tree Ornaments are a big hit in our family and we've been making them for over 20+ years with the kids. I think every generation (at least for the past 4 generations have made them at one point or another). They're really easy to make and you only need a few general craft supplies to make them.

Kid's Crafts: Penguin Popsicle Stick Christmas Ornaments

Wood Craft Stick
Wood Popsicle Stick
Black Acrylic Paint
White Acrylic Paint
Orange Acrylic Paint
Paint Brush, Water Dish, Paper Towels
2 Small Orange Pom-Poms
Red Satin Ribbon
Scissors
Quick-Drying Craft Glue
Clear Fishing Line

Paint the wood craft stick with 2 coats of black paint. Paint the wood popsicle stick with 2 coats of white paint. Let dry. Once they're dry, glue the white popsicle stick onto the black craft stick, leaving space above to form the penguin's head. Let dry for about 30 minutes.

Have the kids paint a white oval-shape on the black craft stick to form the penguin's face. While it's drying they can glue the 2 small orange pom-poms on the bottom of the craft stick to form his feet. Cut a 5" long piece of fishing line and tie it into a loop, knotting the 2 ends together.

Add 2 black dots onto his face to form the eyes and a triangular shaped orange beak. Dot white paint in the center of each eye to form the inner eye. Let dry. Tie a piece of satin ribbon around the penguin's neck to form the scarf. Glue the hanging loop onto the back of the craft stick. Let dry.

Your finished Penguin Popsicle Stick Christmas Ornaments are now ready to be hung onto the tree or used as holiday package toppers.

Note: You can double click on the photo in this post. It will automatically open up in a new browsing window and in an enlarged size.

12 Easy-to-Make Seashell Craft Projects

I love the beach and coastal lifestyle, so obviously I love to collect and craft with seashells. My current seashell collection has over 150+ specimens and growing. I like to use my leftover seashells in various craft projects and to decorate my home.

Besides the Passionate About Crafting Blog, I also own another blog called Two Classy Chics, which is a mom & lifestyle blog. It's my largest and most popular blog. With that said, I've been posting the majority of my seashell craft projects over on the TCC Blog and wanted to highlight them here on Passionate About Crafting. 

Here are 12 Easy-to-Make Seashell Craft Projects

* Seashell Windchime - Made with clam shells, paint and clear fishing line. This one will take you a few hours to make and you'll need a lot of smaller-sized clam shells to make it.

* Tropical Fish Seashell Yard Art - Made with a large clam shell, scallop shell and craft paint. 

* Seashell Soap Dish & Trinket Dish - I love making these and giving them out as gifts along with a bar of handcrafted soap.

* Painted Clam Shells for Summer Yard Art - You can use stencils or free-hand your own summer designs onto large clam shells. 

* Patriotic Design Painted Shells - These are fun to display in your flower beds, on your front porch, around the swimming pool or to decorate your table during summer picnics. 

* Painted Puppy Dog Seashells - My grandchildren loved making these adorable puppy dog seashells. Fun to display if your a dog owner and love dogs! 

* DIY Coastal Style Flower Pots - You can easily paint your own terracotta flower pots and then decorate them with your favorite seashells. 

* Seashell Crabs Yard Art - You can make these adorable red crabs with large clam shells, pipe cleaners, acrylic craft paint and some glue. A fun way to decorate for summer! 

* Home Decor Metallic Painted Seashells - Use metallic paints in bright colors to paint some of your seashells, toss them into a larger shell or basket to decorate your home.

* Displaying Beach Vacation Memories - Collect sand and seashells while on vacation and then display them in a glass memory block. 

* Seashell Refrigerator Magnets - I like to turn my smaller shells into refrigerator magnets! A quick and easy project that also makes a great little gift. 

* Panda Bear Painted Seashell - My granddaughter loves panda bears and made this adorable Panda Bear by utilizing a large clam shell for his head and 2 smaller shells for his ears. Cute! 

If you enjoy crafting with seashells you'll want to check out all of my Seashell Craft Projects by visiting my Two Classy Chics blog. You'll find over 100+ craft project designs! 

Preschool Craft Project: Rainbow Painted Clam Seashells

Looking for a quick and easy craft project to do with the kids? Got a few clam shells that you've collected from a recent beach vacation? Some craft paints? If so, you've got everything you need to make these adorable rainbow painted clam seashells!

We made them with a group of preschoolers age 3 to 5 years of age to help teach them about their colors, to educate them a little bit about rainbows and of course...we incorporated some education about seashells into our learning session too!

Kid's Crafts: Rainbow Painted Clam Seashells

Medium to Large Clam Shells
Acrylic Craft Paints
Paint Brush, Water Dish, Paper Towels
Old Sheets of Newspaper
Black Sharpie Marker

Before beginning the project you'll want to wash and thoroughly dry all seashells. I suggest doing that a few days before you plan on beginning the project. They need to be completely dry before painting them.

Line the work surface with old sheets of newspaper. Kids can be messy painters! You can have the kids paint their seashells in traditional rainbow colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple) or in whatever colors that they would like. I recommend using acrylic craft paints which dry quickly and are easy-to-clean up.

Once the clam shells are completely dry you can have the kids flip them over and write their name, age and date on the other side or some type of message. I think it's always nice when kids sign and date their arts & craft projects. That's it...they're really easy-to-make and can be a great teaching tool in the preschool classroom.

Kid's Crafts: Painting Memorial Marker Seashells

Kids have a hard time expressing their sadness and grief. Depending on their age, they might not even comprehend what is going on and how they should feel. This is the same with the loss of a family member, friend or even a beloved pet.

To help children learn to deal with their grief and to express their feelings, we've come up with an easy craft project for them to do. Once their seashell memorial markers are completed, they can place them on a grave of a loved one...including a lost pet. When making them, let the children paint whatever designs they want...including their choice of paint colors.

Kid's Crafts: Painting Memorial Marker Seashells

Large Clam Seashells
Acrylic Craft Paints, Variety of Colors
Paint Brush, Water Dish, Paper Towels
Disposable Foam Plate, Paint Palette
Old Sheets of Newspaper
Clear Acrylic Spray Sealer

Cover the work surface with a few sheets of old newspaper. Kids can be really messy when working with paint.

You'll want to fill a dish with water (we like to use old plastic disposable butter dishes), provide paper towels and use disposable plates for paint palettes. Squirt a few puddles of different colored paint onto the disposable plate. Show the kids how to wash out their paint brush when changing colors by dipping it into the water dish and drying it with the paper towel.

The kids can paint just the outside of the clam shell or both sides, entirely up to them. They can make a design that reminds them of the loved one that they lost and/or adding wording to the design. I feel it's important for the child to come up with their own unique & creative design which helps them to express their feelings.

Let the seashells thoroughly dry. If you're using acrylic craft paint, this can take up to 60-70 minutes. Take the shells outside and lay them down onto newspaper or an old plastic placemat. Have an adult spray 1-2 coats of the clear acrylic sealer on each seashell and let thoroughly dry. This will protect the painted surface from chipping, cracking and/or fading. It will allow the seashells to be displayed outside.

We do this project with the kids in our family every time a loved one passes on or with the loss of a beloved pet. They really look forward to it...from the preschoolers and on up. Some of the adults will get in on the action too! You can make them as fancy as you want, but I think basic designs look best. We hope you enjoy this crafting with kids project!

Kid's Craft Project: Hand Painted Seashells for Summer

Every time we travel down to the beach we always come home with a big bag of seashells. My grandchildren love to collect them while we're on vacation and then we use them in various craft projects throughout the year.

This project is a great way to use up some of those clam shells that you collected. All you need is a few bottles of acrylic paint and let the kids come up with their own painted designs. If you plan on displaying them outside you'll need to protect the painted finish with clear acrylic spray sealer. If you're displaying them indoors, you can skip that step.

Kid's Craft Project: Hand Painted Seashells for Summer

Acrylic Craft Paints
Paint Brush and Water Dish
Medium & Large Clam Shells
Clear Acrylic Spray Sealer - Glossy Finish
Old Newspaper and Paper Towels

Lay newspaper down onto your work surface. Make sure your clam shells and seashells have been washed and thoroughly dried.

We use old plastic margarine bowls and their lids when painting. Use the bowl as your water dish and the plastic lid as your paint palette. Squirt a few colors of acrylic paint onto the paint palette and let the kids go to town painting their seashells. I feel that it's very important to let them come up with their own creative designs, not that fancy stuff that adults want to do just to have a Pinterest-worthy pin. Nope, let the kids be creative!!!

Once the shells have been painted you'll want to let them dry for 1-2 hours. Take them outside and lay them down onto newspaper and have an adult spray them with 1-2 coats of clear acrylic spray sealer. It comes in a matte, semi-gloss and glossy finish...we prefer the glossy. Let the shells dry for 3-4 hours (until they are no longer tacky). You can now use them to decorate inside your home or outside in your garden & flower beds.

Quick and Easy Halloween Crafts for Kids

My 8 1/2 year old granddaughter spent the weekend with us and wanted to work on some easy Halloween craft projects. She's been doing various arts and crafts since age 4 and loves to sit down and get creative. We headed into my craft room and she went through my "extra's bin" and pulled out a few things to work on.

First up...the Jack Skeleton Hand-Painted Clam Shell (Seashell) that took a few hours to make as she had to let the paint dry in between the coats. We used really large clam shells that we collected from the beach last month and each seashell measures about 6" wide at its widest point.

If you're looking for more Halloween Hand-Painted Seashells and Clam Shell designs, you can find them over on my main blog called Two Classy Chics. We have a large Crafting with Kids section where you'll find all kinds of cool craft projects to do with the kids!

She painted on two coats of white acrylic paint, leaving each coat dry for about 30 minutes before proceeding to the next step. Using black acrylic paint she painted on two black colored eyes, a nose and a mouth. You can see the shape, size and placement by referring to the photograph Let the face paint dry for about an hour.

Take the painted clam shells (seashells) outside and lay them down on a sheet of newspaper or aluminum foil. Lightly spray two coats of clear acrylic sealer (glossy finish) on top of the painted design. Let dry for several hours. The sealer will protect the painted design and you can use your painted seashells indoors or outdoors.

The second project was a Hand-Painted Black Cat which is totally appropriate for Halloween. I had an unfinished cat wooden shape in my craft bin that I had picked up on clearance at a local craft supply store last year for about a dollar. I had never gotten around to painting it or decorating it.

For this...she took aluminum foil and wrapped strips of foil around the rope hanging cord to protect it from paint. She took it outside and laid it on top of two sheets of newspaper. She used black spray paint to paint the front of the cat. She waited an hour, flipped it over and painted the back side. Waited another hour (make sure it's dry) and brought it inside.

Take the aluminum foil off of the rope hanging cord. She used a white chalk paint marker and wrote the word BOO! on the front of the cat. She kept it really simple which I like! After that was dry, we took it back outside and sprayed a light coat of clear acrylic sealer on each side of the black cat to protect the paint. This cat now hangs on the back door over at her house as a Halloween decoration.

Both of these projects are great for older kids to work on and they don't cost a lot of money. If you don't have access to large clam shells, go out and find some smooth river rocks and paint your design on top of the rock. You can always find unfinished wood holiday theme'd items in the clearance bin at your local craft store after the holiday for cheap! Pick up a few shapes this year, tuck them away and let the kids paint them for next year.

Dollar Store Craft Ideas for Kids

My grandchildren love to craft! My little 8 year old granddaughter has been doing arts & craft projects since the age of three. Every month I plan a minimum of two crafting play dates with her and she just loves them! Over the past few months, my god son and grandson have joined us too!

When it comes to kid's crafts...I'm all about being frugal with it. Children don't need you to spend a lot of money on their craft supplies or projects. When I need cheap supplies, I always head to my local Dollar Store to find them! You would be surprised at what you find at the Dollar Store and here's a list of things I recently found.

Packages of Plastic Beads
Packages of Wooden Beads
Spools of Ribbon
Decorative Edge & Straight Edge Scissors
Self-Adhesive Foam Shapes
Glitter Glue, Craft Glue and Glue Sticks
Markers, Crayons, Glitter Ink Pens, Water Paints, etc.
Artificial Flowers and Greenery
Unpainted Wooden Ornament Shapes
Packages of Stickers and Coloring Books
Water Paint Books and Paint Brushes
Construction Paper, Sketch Pads and Poster Board
Self-Adhesive Magnet Backs
Pkgs. Plastic Buttons
Solid Color Gift Bags
and all kinds of other things!!!

I like to visit the Dollar Store often and I set myself a $10 to $15 budget. When I go in there, I look for craft supplies that can be used in various children's craft projects. I will pick up mostly items that will give us multiple uses. I keep all of these supplies store in four plastic bins (also purchased at their store) for when the kids are over and need projects to do to keep busy.

Some of our favorite projects to make with supplies that we get there:

Painted Holiday Ornaments
Refrigerator Magnets
Decorated Gift Bags
Handmade Greeting Cards
Refrigerator Artwork
Decopauge Glassware
Holiday Decorations
and more!

Check out their section on clear glassware for dessert plates, vases, mugs, bowls, etc. and buy tissue paper to let the kids do some decopauge projects! They can them give them as gifts! Just an idea!

The point is...crafting with kids doesn't have to be expensive! Walk into your local Dollar-type of store before hitting the retail chain craft store to buy your supplies. Stock up on various supplies, store them in a bin and get them out on rainy days or whenever you need to give the kids something to do!

3 Ways You Can Use Steel Fabrication for Crafts

Because of its ability to be cut into pieces, reshaped into different forms, and weld together to build a larger element, steel and other metals are becoming more popular as a versatile material in contemporary arts and crafts. In the present, fabricated steel is now used to build artistic creations ranging from small accessories and handmade crafts to huge sculptures and wall murals.

If you want to create a majestic steel masterpiece that will surely stand the test of time, you may consider using aerospace grade sheet metal which is not as prone to rusting, fading, breakage, and deformation as other sheet metal grades. Spraying a thick layer of clear-coat as a finisher can also help to protect your artwork from fingerprint markings, scratches, stains, dirt, and damage from UV rays. Adding other metals such as bronze and brass, and other insulating materials such as wood and rubber can also add diversity to your masterpiece.

Are you new to using fabricated steel for making crafts? If so, then this article is for you. Learn more about the 3 ways that you can use steel fabrication to make your crafts stand out among the rest. You may also get your steel professionally processed by the best steel fabricator Melbourne.

Cutting, Bending, and Reshaping

Cutting involves using a variety of instruments to achieve the desired size and form of a steel sheet. Remember to always consider the thickness of a metal sheet as thicker steel sheets will take more time and effort to cut. However, thicker steel sheets are more resistant to deformation. Depending on the desired outcome, you may use a combination of cutting instruments in your craft. Automated jigsaw and bandsaw are great for doing quick straight cuts when used with a straight-edge. Nibblers, whether automatic or manual, offer better control for cutting along curves and delicate forms with accuracy. On the other hand, snips are perfect for small and precise cuts on thinner steel sheets.

Bending and reshaping add a new dimension and character to your artwork. If you are using thick materials, then you might need to use tools and machines to help you. Otherwise, you can just use your force to create beautiful bends, twists, swirls, curls, and waves.

Grinding to Create Texture

The process involves using a variety of materials, grit types, angles of grind, and power to create different decorative patterns on the surface of the sheet metal. Although creating consistent textures would definitely take a lot of time and practice, adding grind patterns can instantly add a visual feast to your masterpiece. Try to experiment with different grinding pads, spinning pads, and brushing and scratching tools, then see which one suits your artistic style and preferences.

Coloring

While many people like the natural color of fabricated steel, there are also others who want to add a variety of colors to their crafts. Unlike cutting, bending, and grinding, coloring metal sheets require extra care and more advanced skills. Spray painting will also not ensure that the color will last over time. One of the most common ways of coloring steel is by using heat. Coloring with heat is not very predictable and is dependent on the temperature of the heat source, duration of exposure to heat, humidity, and the type of material used.

5 Reasons Snail Mail is Better than Email

It is no doubt that the internet has made our lives so much easier. The internet is used in businesses, schools, hospitals, and other establishments. Suffice it to say, this technology has made millions of people around the world change the way that they function in their day-to-day lives. The emergence of email has changed the course of communications throughout mankind. Exchanging of messages between people has been faster and more efficient. However, no matter how technology keeps on evolving to make mankind more connected to each other, the quality of human interaction has sometimes been compromised.

That is why, be it in business or in keeping touch with friends and family it is important to not compromise quality. Here are five reasons why snail mail is still better than email.

1. It is a far better choice when it comes to security and privacy.

No one is really safe when it comes to information theft. However, using the traditional handwritten letter sent via snail mail is often more secure because not even the NSA can easily intercept your mail. The downside of mail technology is that your personal exchange of information can easily be traced online. You can never truly have privacy when you are online. That is why if you need to send an important message that you do not wish to ever see on the internet, you better make use of snail mail.

2. It shows that you care for the person you are sending letters to.

Nowadays, sending emails is so easy and fast, that sometimes, it can be very non-personal anymore. That is why a person can feel that you actually care if you send letters via snail mail because you actually have to go through the process of writing it, purchasing a stamp, and finally have it physically delivered. Let’s just say, you bought a greeting card at Lima Lima Cards & Gifts, and had it delivered to a special someone, the effort and thoughtfulness will surely count compared to sending a quick message via email.

3. It can spark creativity within you.

When we engage ourselves in more labor-intensive activities, it utilizes our brain processes differently than by simply using technology. When we create a letter or card, it requires us to slow down and connect with our hands. With this, our individual creativity just comes in.

4. It helps you unplug yourself from the online world once in awhile.

We all need some time offline these days. When we send messages via email, we tend to get distracted by a lot of things online, which can pretty much divide our attention. However, when we send messages via snail mail, we do things in the present moment, and by nature, we are spending time for ourselves too, without the distraction of the online world.

5. It honors tradition.

When a certain thing has been present for hundreds of years, there’s just something sentimental when you also do it. Sending our messages using the traditional snail mail honors how the past generations communicate. It is acknowledging the value of our grandmothers and grandfather's letters to each other.

The Most Common Embroidery Designs in 2017

Embroidery is a common way of decorating fabric. It has been around for a long time. The process of mending and reinforcing a clothing led to the development of this sewing technique which led to the art of embroidery. Embroidery has become an outlet of expression for both the old and new generation of sewing enthusiasts. There are many ways or techniques to make an excellent embroidery. This is important because in embroidery each technique has a purpose that will make your creation look better by selecting the right technique to use. Learning the basic stitches is fundamental to the embroidery art.

In this day and age, there are now sewing machines which can automatically create the design on fabric. These machines are mostly used for commercial purposes and mass-production. Interested parties have to do their research on how to choose an embroidery machine in order to avoid overspending and picking the wrong machine. From intricate floral design to the clothing brand logo, embroidery has helped so much in the fabric and textile business. All you have to do is input your design and wait for the machine to do its charm. Some companies sell design files in which they have already made a design and all you have to do is some minor editing if you want to change something. Still, some enthusiasts would prefer handcrafted stitches rather than the machine. Embroidery takes a lot of skill and patience. Sewing experts can show their precision with the needle and talent with the art of embroidery which many people do not have. If you are a new practitioner to this this art form then you have to start with the basic and common designs and work your way to the intricate designs. These are the most common embroidery designs.

The most common embroidery design is the Classic. The classic is the easiest design which everyone can make with or without the embroidery machine. All you have to do is draw your design on a paper and transfer it to the fabric. A lot of enthusiasts prefer this design because it is very easy to follow. The classic design usually features plants or animals. From roses and trees to lions and tigers, classic design is a perfect choice if you are looking to challenge your skills with the needle. It can be hard but with enough patience, you will be looking at your embroidery with a satisfied heart.

Applique embroidery design is a complicated design which requires the embroidery techniques of satin stitches, zigzag stitches, or decorative stitches that are anchored onto a piece of background fabric. These designs are not for beginners and may even require you to use a machine. These designs are used mostly for brand names and logos.

Free Standing designs can only be made by the use of embroidery machines. Designs like basket ornaments and jewelry made of thread are just some of the few samples of free standing designs. It is designed to stand and look solid once the stabilizer is removed with the help of freestanding lace and applique techniques. These designs can be very complex and advisable to be used only by professionals.