Giant Clam Shell

Made by Sandy McKellar

I used the “no-glue” recipe to make a giant clam shell. It measures about 15 inches at the widest point. I wanted a large shell to hold a mermaid doll that I made for a friend.

I struggled with how to create the armature and eventually decided it would be easier to mold the clay right onto a giant shell. I lived in Papua New Guinea as a kid and brought home a big shell. I made up two batches of the clay recipe, wrapped my shell in plastic wrap, and pressed the clay to the outside. I covered the whole thing, and wrapped into the shell just a little. On the outside, I used a pastry tool to create the grooves that you would see on the outside of a clam shell. When it had dried for a day and was mostly set up, I pried the clay away from the shell.

I was worried that it might be too fragile, but this clay is amazing. Once dry, it feels like I could drop it on the floor and it would never break. I painted the whole shell with a diluted White Glue to seal it. Then I layered on different shades and dilutions of acrylic paints to try and create the mother of pearl look of the inner shell. On the outside, I used more of a stain to just give the shell a ‘dirty’ look. Lastly, I sprayed the whole project with a matte finish protector and mounted a couple of little shells on the bottom for stability.

I just LOVE the finished project. This is a fabulous recipe.