How to Get a Fire Glazed Ceramic Look without a Kiln

Seashell, Seashell by the Seashore! 

Today's project is about achieving a fired-glazed look for bisque pottery without a kiln. My daughter picked up this bisque sea shell at a thrift store for a dollar. She wanted to use it on her desk for storing pens, but she wasn't happy with the plain bisque finish. Luckily she brought it with her on a visit and I was able to finish it for her. 

Before: Unfinished bisque clay seashell.

My daughter wanted the piece painted with a white shell with a blue base.

I used chalk paint for this project, but acrylic paint would work, too. I painted the entire piece with Old White (Annie Sloan Chalk Paint). I added a second coat to the shell, including the interior.

After the paint was dry, I taped off the shell around the base and painted two coats of Duck Egg Blue. I lightly sanded the shell to give some definition to the ridges and to add some visual interest to the base.

I finished with two coats of clear gloss acrylic spray to give it a shiny and durable finish. This process would not be suitable for a piece that would be used to serve food, but it works great for home decor pieces.