How to Make 3D Seashell Decor: DIY Modern Coastal Art

Shell fanatics and modern coastal art lovers—-this project is for you. This DIY seashell wall decor is a fun weekend project that will give you a set of 3 contemporary seashells perfect for turning any space into a soothing, coastal refuge. Creating your own modern beach wall art is easy with the free patterns in this post and some air dry clay. And budget friendly? Yes, that too.

You can display your shells on wood panels painted in sea-inspired hues to set off their minimalist contours, or use them without a background, as accent pieces.

The step by step video below shows you how to make a whelk shell—

You can also make a conch shell–

Or a lambis shell (spider conch) using the same process and the free pattern downloads below.

For a bolder look, swap the subtle background for a vivid teal color splash —

This DIY shell beach wall art is a fabulous summer project and easy to customize with your favorite beach house hues.

Let’s start creating!

gather these supplies to make your shell art

• Creative Paperclay ( or other good quality brand of paper clay or air dry clay) You’ll need two 16 ounce packages to make 3 shells
• cutting tool (clay clean-up tool, craft knife or old X-acto knife will work)
• rolling pin or wood dowel for rolling out clay
• dish of water and cotton swabs for smoothing
• paint (craft paint, acrylic paint, or spray paint will work)

step 1: download the free seashell art patterns

Click on the names below to download sets of patterns to make the shells shown on this page.

CONCH

WHELK

LAMBIS SPIDER CONCH

Cut out the patterns. The third pattern in each set is deliberately a mirror image.

step 2: create your beautiful seashell decor

Work on a non-stick surface. You will need a package of paper clay, a rolling pin, a cutting tool, and a small dish of water.

Watch the video to see how to create a shell:

step 3: display your 3D modern coastal art

These shells fit nicely on 9 x 12 size canvas or wood panels. To give them a floating effect, attach a small wood block or other small object to the back of each shell before gluing to the canvas surface.

For more a bolder look, create a vivid color splash background—simply pour & drizzle vibrant teal, aqua, and turquoise paint colors onto a canvas.

artUcreate is an Etsy, Michael’s, and Amazon Associates LLC affiliate.