Give seashells a luxe look with metallic leafing. Learn two different easy methods of making gilded seashells.
In celebration of beach season, I’m showing off my seashell collection and sharing two different techniques for making gilded seashells.
Aren’t these gilded seashells the prettiest things ever? So beachy glam!
I experimented with two methods to give my shells the heavy metal treatment. I tried out liquid gilding and gold leaf sheets (which I’ve used for projects like my Gilded Valentine’s Day Plates), and I love the results you get from both.
[clickToTweet tweet=”You won’t believe how easy it is to make these gorgeous gilded #seashells at home! #beachcrafts ” quote=”You won’t believe how easy it is to make these gorgeous gilded seashells at home! “]
Seriously, I can’t pick a favorite.
Gold leaf sheets really work well on shells with smooth surfaces. So luxe!
But liquid gilding looks bling-tastic on textured sells, like the ones you see in the forefront of the photo above. The painted on metal leafing really highlights the knobby bits of the shells.
The quickest, easiest method, by far, is to use liquid gilding.
(The supply list below includes affiliate links; if you make a purchase from my referral, I will receive a small commission.)
I used the Martha Stewart Crafts Liquid Gilding, which comes in four colors: gold, brass, copper and silver. I used brass and silver to create my seashells.
Just brush it on with a paintbrush, and you are done! The liquid gilding dries quickly, which is a bonus. But it does have a strong smell, and it will pretty much ruin a paintbrush.
Using gold leaf sheets will take you longer, but the look is so rich!
When gold leafing, first coat the shell with a thin layer of adhesive size — a thin, ultra-sticky glue. Allow the adhesive size to dry for 20 to 40 minutes, until the surface of the shell is tacky or sticky, but not dry.
Gently lay a sheet of gold leaf over the shell. The leafing is super thin, and a bit tricky to handle. Make sure you’re not sitting near a fan or a vent when working with it or your gold will blow away!
Use a soft, dry paintbrush or a soft rag to burnish the gold leaf onto the surface and remove any excess.
You will probably have to follow up with a second layer of adhesive and gold leafing to cover any spots you missed on the first pass.
Over time, gold leaf will develop a tarnished patina, like many metals, so you need to seal it. Most metal leafing starter kits come with a clear sealer. You can also use a spray sealer.
Gilded Seashells: Shop for Supplies
There are all kinds of ways you can decorate with gilded seashells. They look great in a bowl, mixed with natural seashells, or scattered on your coffee table atop a stack of books.
Use larger gilded seashells as bookends or cover a frame or mirror with clusters of smaller gilded shells. Or you could just put them in a jar on the back of the toilet, which is where seashells go when you don’t know where else to put them. Right?
Of course, you shouldn’t have to resort to that. You’ll find more than 25 seashell craft ideas here.
If you want to make these gilded seashells, don’t forget to pin this post so you can easily find the tutorial.
For more ideas on going for the crafting gold, check out out these other gilded projects:
Brenda Neave
Hi. Can some one please tell me the name of the big shell being guilded..the one with the long ‘fingers’. I have been trying to find out for ages and have clicked on so many charts but they are never there. I really would appreciate it. Thank you Brenda
Atta Girl Amy
Brenda, I wish I knew! Sorry I can’t help you with that.
blakeny
It’s a conch shell
blakeny
spider conch shell
Amy Shadoin
Those shells are of the genus “Murex”. There are several types of Murex shells.
Christine Currie
That shell is a lambis chiragra also known as a spider conch.
Atta Girl Amy
Thanks for the info and for sharing your expertise.
Laurie L Watson
It’s a Spider Conch.
lisa at Mabey She made It
I love the look of a couple gilded shells along with the natural ones.
Mrs Major Hoff (Sara)
Very cool! I love how classy they look!
Albion
Oh, wow! Beautiful! Gild all the things!! The girls have been asking to go to the beach… 🙂
Heidi @ Happiness is Homemade
These are so pretty! I actually have a couple of leftover gold leaf sheets sitting around here just waiting for a project like this!
Steph @ Crafting in the Rain
So cool-they look amazing mixed with the natural ones too!
Ashley @ My Craftily Ever After
These are the most amazing thing ever! We are doing our bathroom in a coastal theme and these are perfect!
jillene@inkhappi
Wow. Beautiful! Gold is so in and I Love it! I would love to find something I could use this method on. Thanks for sharing, 🙂
Tracey@LetsGoJunking
I’m getting the gild out – Right Now!
Kaysi Gardner
These look awesome!!! They are so pretty
Cori
So great! Makes me wonder what else I could gild around here!
Ashley @ 3 Little Greenwoods
Ohhh! I love this project! Thanks so much for the great tutorial on using the two types of gold. 😉
~ Ashley