As promised, my new DIY series, What Would Dahlia Make, starts today! If you’re just tuning in and confused about who Dahlia is, you can read this or watch this. The gist is that she’s the Female MC of The Summer I Found You, and since she is nostalgic, quirky, and loves handmade gifts, I thought I’d do a series about it. I coined her a Coastal Niece because she’s a bit of an outlier and doesn’t fit the traditional Coastal Granddaughter or Coastal Grandmother.
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Let’s get to it. Let’s make Speckled Shell Bowls! Trust me, they’re SUPER easy to make. If I can do it, so can you. The best part, at the bottom, is a FREE template. Just save and print when you’re ready to have a craft day!
You’ll need oven-baked clay or air-dry clay, a template, an exacto knife, a rolling pin, a ruler, paint (more below), and an oven-safe bowl. You can also watch THIS how-to video. They say that wrapping your clay with Saran Wrap keeps it clean and even. I didn’t do that, but I will next time.
Once you’ve rolled the clay and cut out your shell form, you’ll take your ruler and follow the indents, as shown on the template, starting from the bottom center and fanning out. Don’t press too deep, I learned the hard way. Grease your oven-bake bowl very lightly with olive oil. This will help it slide right out when thoroughly cooled. Place your clay into the bowl and mold it in. The sides will curve up a bit, not to worry. Bake at 250°F for 20 minutes. You can put it into the freezer or fridge to lessen the cooling time.
Once it’s cooled, it’s time to paint. I used two different color palettes: beige & brown, and blue on blue speckled. You can see how the brown turned out in THIS video. I simply used a toothbrush and my finger. You can test the back first or on a piece of art paper. I love how it turned out! I also sealed it with Mod Podge. I used Folkart Linen Tiole & Coffee Bean for the light tan bowl. The blue on blue bowl I used Folkart Sea Frost & Deep Navy. These can be found at any craft store or online.
What do you think? Would you make this? I used mine to hold stones we’ve collected from all our beach trips. You can also display petite fall items, shells, jewelry, and even remotes. I have a ton of battery-operated lights, so bowls come in handy. And for the holidays, I can picture handmade jewelry and/or a gift card, wrapped in cellophane, tied with a velvet bow.
Be sure to save this one! You can have a craft night with your friends or even with a family member. Have a happy day, friend!
