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It’s no secret that seashells make great decor. They come in all different shapes, sizes and colors. You can do so many things with them, it can be hard to decide what exactly. I’ve made seashell jewelry, candles, purses, and even a seashell christmas tree. My most recent seashell finds came from a trip to Lovers Key State Park, a park I’ve actually never been to in the place I grew up. Crazy, right?
Lovers Key State Park might just became my new favorite hang out for beach activities. There are so many things to do! We rented beach chairs and an umbrella, played on a stand up paddle board, ate ice cream, and searched for seashells. There’s so much more to do there, you can do something different each visit. Ride bikes, rent kayaks, take a manatee tour, and eat all kinds of food just to name a few.
The beaches at Lovers Key are perfect for shelling. There are miles and miles of seashells. I found some of my favorites right on the water line. Before going to the beach, I knew I wanted to use the shells as stamps so I looked for specific ones with deep grooves and the right shape.Ahhh, the perfect shell!
Remember to bring a pouch with you when shelling so that you have a place to store all your new treasures. One with holes, like mesh, would work best so that you can easily dip it in the water to rinse them all. But be careful if you’re looking for small shells so that they don’t slip through the holes in the bag.
- Seashells
- Paint (either acrylic or fabric ink)
- Fabric Medium (if using acrylic)
- Paintbrushes
- Kitchen Towels
- Flour Sack Towels (for practice)
Step One
The first step is to figure out what shells to use as stamps. They need to have deep enough grooves to leave an imprint and a good shape so that they actually look like a shell once stamped. I used a flour sack towel to practice on. They are really cheap to buy and the perfect canvas to practice on. P.S. I got all the towels I used from Target (on clearance!)
Step Two
If using acrylic paint, mix it with the fabric medium according to its directions so that it stays on the towels after washes and such. Then paint the mixture on the shell evenly.
TIP | Use towels that are flat and like canvas so the shells will stamp evenly. You don’t want a towel with lots of texture.
Step Three
Now stamp the shell on the towel and press down on each part of it, making sure to press the sides and bottom too. It can be a little messy so try not to get the paint on the towel where you don’t want it. But remember it doesn’t have to be perfect, each shell is unique so each stamp will be unique.
After each stamp, paint the shell again.
Step Four
Use the paintbrush to fill in any empty spots on the stamps. This is totally optional but I prefer to do it so the shells are more noticeable.
Above are the shells I used for each towel.
These DIY seashell stamped towels are such an easy way to add a personal touch to your kitchen towels. They are unique and can be sentimental. Every time you look at them you’ll remember the shells you used and where you found those shells.
I have so many shells, I’m always looking for new ways to use them. Tell me, would you make these kitchen towels?
Thank you to The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel for sponsoring this post.
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I love love love it. Yes I will definitely try this. Thank you.
Yay! So glad you love it!
What a wonderful idea. I must make these for myself and my friend from PA who winters in Cape Coral.
You should! They would be the perfect gift!
Beautiful DIY! Lovers Key is my fave!
Thank you! It really is a beautiful place!