My Best Secret I Used For How To Dye Seashells

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Looking for an easy project for summer? Here’s how to dye seashells as well as creative ideas to decorate with them.

A close-up of various seashells scattered on a light gray concrete surface. The shells are small and exhibit different shapes and subtle shades of white, beige, and light brown. The background is blurred, indicating an outdoor setting.

Once upon a time there was a family of seashells.

Long ago, somewhere between NSYNC and the Jonas Brothers the entire shell family washed up on the beach.

And the wind swept them across the sand.

And the water added character.

And the sun bleached them.

Then one day the shell family looked at themselves and thought—is this all there is? Is there more to life than this?

Where’s the fun?

Where’s the joy and the confetti and the laughter and the ticker tape parades and the COLOR?

Their shell hearts were hungry for MORE.

And then?

THIS HAPPENED.

A collection of various white and light brown seashells is scattered on a grey, textured stone surface. The seashells are of different shapes and sizes, some smooth and others with visible ridges. The background gives a rustic, natural feel to the scene.

Life went from this.

Wait for it.

Wait for it.

Wait for it.

(one more)

WAIT FOR IT.

A collection of colorful seashells is neatly arranged in a spiral pattern on a wooden surface. The shells vary in size and display a range of vibrant hues, including shades of blue, red, pink, and orange.

TO THIS.

Look how happy they are.

I think the shell family IS ACTUALLY SMILING.

Look at all that brilliant, wonderful, incredible, happy COLOR.

And can you believe that I did it just with food coloring?

It took me a little bit to figure out. It was a little bit challenging. There were some twists and turns in this shell transformation. But I persisted. I kept going until I figured it out. Nothing makes me happier than going first. Working on a craft project that is super easy with great results….

…once you know the secret.

Here’s everything I learned on how to dye seashells and then (thank you mother) I figured out a few fun decor ideas on what to do with them.

A close-up of various seashells scattered on a light gray concrete surface. The shells are small and exhibit different shapes and subtle shades of white, beige, and light brown. The background is blurred, indicating an outdoor setting.

how to dye seashells

supplies

shells

food coloring

Step 1: Wash the shells

I know this is SO CAPTAIN OBVIOUS.

(total aside: I just realized I am using a lot of capital letters in today’s post. I’m not really shouting—I’m just very, very, very craft-excited.)

Without going into great detail—suffice it to say that shells you find on the beach are full of stuff. The stuff kind of falls into two categories

  1. Stuff I don’t really want to talk about because it’s kind of icky
  2. Sand

Both need to be washed out from the shells.

After you wash them thoroughly (I didn’t use special shell soap. I just used Dawn.) lay them out to dry.

The sun works best. The shells recognize the sun—they are very familiar with it.

NOTE: If your shells have an outer hard shell or casing—the dyeing process won’t work. These shells were porous so they were able to take the dye better.

Four small, round bowls are positioned in a square arrangement, each filled with a different color of liquid: one with dark brown (top left), one with bright red (top right), another with blue (bottom left), and the last one with red (bottom right).

2. Prepare the food coloring

Here’s where things started to go south (before I figured it out).

In my mind, I was going to add food coloring to water and dip the shells in the water and they would come out in all the colors of the rainbow.

SURVEY SAYS NO.

If you try this project and have those expectations? In super sad shell dyeing news—you are destined for disappointment.

I dipped the shells in the food coloring and THEY DIDN’T LOOK ANY DIFFERENT when I removed them.

So I tried five minutes. Nope.

I tried 30 minutes. Nope.

I tried 2 hours. A tiny shred of color.

Sigh.

I was about to scrap the whole idea when I came up with the SECRET to dyeing seashells.

A close-up image shows several blue and black marbled stones submerged in a vibrant blue liquid. The stones vary in size and appear to be arranged randomly, with some partially submerged and others more visible through the liquid's surface.

3. Make sure your food coloring is super saturated

I had four tubes of food coloring and I added the entire contents of the tube to the water.

Super, super saturated.

That really seemed to work and then I came up with SECRET NUMBER TWO.

What do you think it is?

A close-up of several red and blurry, oval-shaped objects clustered together, possibly fruit or vegetables, placed inside a red container. The image is heavily saturated with red, making it challenging to identify the exact items.

4. Soak the shells overnight

In addition to super-saturated food coloring, I decided to soak the shells overnight.

I wanted the seashells to soak up all the dye.

Did it work?

Did the shells pick up the color?

Here are the shells divided by color so you can see the different color dyes and how the shells took the dye.

Five small, pink seashells with a spiral shape are arranged randomly on a textured, dark brown wooden surface. Each shell features slight variations in color and form.

Coral shells

Here I mixed red and yellow and it came out coral.

This was my favorite of all the colors.

The thing I discovered that I love about dyeing the shells is the layers of color you can see in the result.

Six blue and brownish seashells of varying sizes are arranged on a wooden surface. The shells have an aged and rustic appearance, with a mix of smooth and rough textures.

Blue shells

Okay turquoise.

I was so surprised that the royal blue dye turned the shells turquoise.

The layers here are so pretty because some of the original shell is still coming through.

Four weathered, rose-colored seashells are arranged on a dark wooden surface. The shells vary slightly in size and shape, showcasing their natural textures and hues.

Pink shells

Here was my attempt at pink shells.

I only really like the one on the bottom (don’t mention this to the rest of the shell family).

I didn’t add enough food coloring to make it pink enough and I think I need to experiment more to get it right.

Five small, colorful sea shells with shades of pink, orange, and white are scattered on a dark wooden surface. Each shell has a unique shape and pattern, with some having small holes.

Orange shells

Again—not really my favorite.

I like the coral so much better.

It’s just so much fun to experiment until you get the look that you like for your projects.

And speaking of experimenting…..

Five colorful seashells with a mix of orange, blue, red, and green hues are spread out on a wooden surface. The shells vary slightly in shape and size, creating a visually appealing arrangement.

Rainbow shells

Okay. These are far from perfect—but the idea? I think it’s kind of gold.

Here I used gel food coloring and added drops of food coloring in an attempt to make a rainbow.

I think I’m going to experiment with bands of color rather than drops.

But the concept?

LET’S GO.

A collection of colorful seashells is neatly arranged in a spiral pattern on a wooden surface. The shells vary in size and display a range of vibrant hues, including shades of blue, red, pink, and orange.

My mother watched the entire process with great interest.

There was a lot of experimenting and when I woke up the next morning and found these?

I almost screamed and ran and showed my mother.

She told me they were amazing.

She told me they were beautiful.

She told me the color was spectacular.

But?

What was I going to do with the shells now?

Great point, mother. Great point.

So in honor of my amazing mother, here are some dyed shell decorating ideas and projects:

  1. Seashell Wreath: Make a wreath by gluing seashells of various sizes and shapes onto a circular base. You could also add ribbons or starfish, too.
  2. Seashell Mirror: Transform an ordinary mirror by gluing seashells around the frame.
  3. Seashell Wind Chime: DIY a wind chime by drilling tiny holes in the seashells and then threading them onto different lengths of string on a piece of wood.
  4. Seashell Picture Frame: Decorate a plain picture frame with seashells by gluing shells around the frame.
  5. Seashell Vase: Fill a glass vase with the seashells (BTW this is what I did until next summer when I’m going to try number 2).
  6. Seashell Jewelry:  You can create necklaces, earrings, or bracelets by drilling holes in the shells and adding string or chain.
  7. Seashell Mosaic: Create a piece of mosaic artwork using seashells. Glue them onto a wooden board or canvas in a pattern.

A collection of various white and light brown seashells is scattered on a grey, textured stone surface. The seashells are of different shapes and sizes, some smooth and others with visible ridges. The background gives a rustic, natural feel to the scene.

And our seashell family?

A collection of colorful seashells is neatly arranged in a spiral pattern on a wooden surface. The shells vary in size and display a range of vibrant hues, including shades of blue, red, pink, and orange.

They went on to live life to the fullest.

A life full of joy.

A life full of confetti.

A life full of laughter and the ticker tape parades and COLOR.

And now?

They are happy as clams because life looks so “shell-tacular.”

Hee hee.

So sorry. I just couldn’t resist. 🙂

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Posted On: August 2, 2024

Written By: KariAnne Wood



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