Surf clam shells are a summer staple in our world. We collected them as children for our parents to use as ashtrays. We kept one in the laundry and outside shower for soap dishes. We painted them to commemorate special events and wrote on them with colored sharpies.
A few years ago, I spotted decoupaged ones at The Boston Flower market….now they are everywhere….. in gift shops, at craft fairs and on Etsy.
I had some leftover cocktail napkins from an event and decided to give it a whirl. Caspari Hydrangea Napkins One can use any shell you want – oyster, scallop, mussel, but I did surf clams.
To get started, You need Modge Podge Luster – and a paint brush, besides the shells and water.
Most napkins are two or three ply, so the first thing you do is separate the top decorative layer from the rest of the napkin- so you have a thinner- tissue paper.
Then I place my shell upside down on the napkin and cut around the shell with a wide margin
Once you have your napkin in place, use your brush with a thin layer of modge podge to attach to the shell. It’s important to use a light touch as the paper tears easily. To smooth out wrinkles, I use a plastic sandwich bag over my hand. The plastic doesn’t stick to the modge podge. Don’t worry about it being perfect.
To take off the excess napkin use a brush with just water and go around the edge of the shell. The wet paper will tear off easily. You can sand off any rough edges with an emery board.
I use two coats, allowing plenty of time to dry in between
To finish the edge of the shell, I use a gold paint pen or a small brush with gold paint to dab around the edge of the shell. Silver paint looks nice too. Ta da!
Fun, inexpensive and easy- three of my favorite things.