Easy Starfish Art with Texture – Ocean Themed Crafts for Adults
Hey friends! It’s Joanie with Weathered Wings, and I’ve got a super simple (but very stylish IMO) Starfish Art project for you today. Yes, it’s simple, but it’s packed with fun techniques; creating texture, using air dry clay to make castings, and a little glazing for subtle shimmer. If you’re looking for fun ocean crafts for adults, this one’s for you!
We’re turning a small wooden panel into a beautiful piece of starfish art using embossing medium and a clay casting. It’s the perfect shelf sitter for a coastal-style home or summer centerpiece.
And the best part? It’s quick, fun, and totally customizable to any decor theme!
🛍 To Make This Starfish Art You’ll Need:
- Small wood panel (or 6×6 canvas block)
- White chalk paint – I used Paint Couture’s Pacific Pearl
- Texture medium – I used Paint Couture’s Embossing Medium
- Decorative Roller
- Starfish mould and air dry clay
- Cornstarch (to help release the clay)
- Champagne glaze – I used Paint Couture’s Champagne Glaze
- Palette knife or spreader
- Paintbrushes
- Damp rag or shop cloth
- Optional: heat tool for faster drying
🐚 How To Make Starfish Texture Art – Step-by-Step
1. Prep Your Surface
Start with a wood panel or canvas block. I love to use surfaces thick enough to sit on a shelf or table. For this project I actually reused a wood panel that I had decoupaged on previously—just sanded it down and gave it a coat of white chalk paint to freshen it up. Everything can be repurposed so don’t throw away those unwanted projects. Oh, and don’t worry about perfect coverage when painting—we’ll be adding texture anyway!
This is what my wood panel looked like orginally:
2. Make Your Clay Casting For This Starfish Art
Grab your starfish mould and dust it lightly with cornstarch. This helps your air dry clay release easily.
- Press clay into the mould, smoothing the back side as you go.
- Use your thumbs to remove any excess and create a flat surface.
- Gently pop the clay casting out and set aside.
New To IOD Molds and Air Dry Clay? Grab my free guide and create perfect castings every time!
3. Add Texture with Embossing Medium
Spread a layer of embossing medium across your panel using a palette knife. There’s no right or wrong here—just have fun!
- Apply in a criss-cross or swirling motion for peaks and valleys OR use a decorative roller like you can see below.
- Don’t stress—this stuff is forgiving. You can always scrape it off and start again if you don’t love it.
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4. Place Your Starfish Into The Texture
Once you get your background design the way you like it, gently press your clay starfish into the embossing medium while it is still wet. Let the entire piece dry completely until the texture medium hardens (like plaster).
5. Paint Entire Starfish Art White
Once your painted Starfish Art is dry, coat the whole piece—including the starfish—in white chalk paint. One coat should do the trick, unless you want to just leave it white. I really like it all white, but I would give it an extra coat of paint. Let it dry or speed up the process with a heat tool.
6. Glaze for Subtle Shine
Now for the fun part—Glazing! I used Paint Couture’s Champagne Glaze, which gives a beautiful, soft shimmer.
- Brush the glaze over the surface. If you’re surface is large, you can work in sections. This glaze is easy to work with in terms of time.
- Use a damp cloth to wipe back, or “tap” off the glaze gently.
- For glaze that puddles around the details, you can use a soft brush and kind of tap into it. This helps control how much stays behind.
Tip: If you wipe off too much glaze, don’t worry—you can always brush on more and start again!
PIN THIS FOR LATER:
🏖️ Display Ideas
This piece makes a darling shelf sitter, but you can take it further:
- Use multiple panels to create a beachy gallery wall.
- Group starfish, sand dollars, and seahorses on a larger canvas.
- Add to your summer mantle or coastal table centerpiece.
Ocean crafts like this are not only relaxing to make but bring in those chill beach vibes we all love! Don’ forget, you can easily change up this project for any decor or theme. There are so many Iron Orchid Moulds available so let your imagination run wild!
🐠 Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a seasoned DIYer or just dipping your toes into creative projects, this Starfish Art is an easy and rewarding way to add handmade beauty to your decor. And remember—you can easily change up the design for any decor or theme; There are so many Iron Orchid Moulds available.
Do you love DIY Texture projects similar to this? If so, You’ll like these projects:
Painting On Plastic Flower Pots
DIY Artwork with Paint Inlays™ and Texture
DIY METALLIC PUMPKIN
Here is a popular TEXTURED TREE workshop I hosted that you can grab for a huge discount! So many techniques and finishes taught in this four part video series.
Happy creating, my friend!
Love,Joanie 💙
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