DIY: Gold-Dipped Seashells

card: Confetti Splendor on ETSY //candle: Small Gunns //tea towel: Little Korboose

Something I look forward to each year is visiting Laguna with G and his family. We usually take 3-4 days in September to spend time with his grandparents, and relax. The house we stay at is right on the beach, so naturally, we spend a majority of the trip playing in the ocean, and soaking up the sun. 

This year, G and I decided to do some seashell hunting. We were lucky to find two giant ones: an albacore, and a spiral-looking one, in addition to a few smaller ones, but unfortunately, a lot of the smaller ones lost their shine after being rinsed off.

With the free time I had today, I decided to spruce them up with some gold paint and a color-blocking technique I've been seeing all over Pinterest. Read on to learn more about the technique, and how it can be applied to almost any object.

TOOLS: shells (in my case), painter's tape, gold paint (I used multi-surface metallic paint by Martha Stewart Crafts), and a paintbrush. STEPS: 1. Tape the part of your shells you don't want the paint to be on. Important: be sure the tape is tightly sealed, all the way around your object. 2. Apply 2-3 coats of gold paint. 3. Let dry. 4. Peel the tape off very slowly to reveal your gold-dipped treasure!


Typically, it's easier to do the color-blocking technique on objects with fewer nooks and crannies, but with a little patience, anything can be "dipped in gold." Other objects this technique can be useful for: -- Large beads -- Wooden utensils -- Paint/makeup brush ends