Seashell Crafts

We love to walk on the beach and, because seashells come in so many different shapes, sizes, and colors, we are instantly drawn to their beauty! They are easy to find so they are available to anyone and, best of all, they are free! Many people love to collect them and they are very sentimental to many, as a reminder of that special beach vacation they took for their honeymoon or a family vacation. 

So, why keep them hidden away?  Why not take those beautiful seashells and turn them into a keepsake that you can display as a reminder of that special time? Seashells can be painted and presented in many ways by simply using glue to create a DIY project.  All you need is a little imagination, some paint, picture frames, and a glue gun with glue sticks. You can let seashells become your inspiration for some creative crafts for you, and even your little ones.  Kids love to do crafts, so bring them along while I show you some easy crafts you can make with those seashells!

Seashell Frame Art

Gather Your Supplies:

• Assorted Seashells
• Picture Frame of Your Choice (A Wooden Frame Would Work Best for Gluing)
• Picture of Your Choice
• Fabric That Resembles Sand (Burlap Is a Natural Fabric That Resembles Sand in Color and Texture)
• Glue Gun
• Glue Sticks

Instructions:

• Begin by warming up your glue gun.
• While your glue gun is warming up, sift through your seashells and decide which you think would work for the frame.  You should choose a lot of different sizes, larger ones to start framing, then smaller ones to fill in the gaps. 
• Glue all of your seashells to your picture frame until you get the look you want and be creative with your placement.  Set aside and let dry completely.
• While the seashells are drying, cut the fabric to the same size as the backing board of your picture frame.  Glue it to the backing board and let dry completely.
• Place your picture where you would like it displayed in your frame.  To make sure it doesn’t move, you can glue it to the fabric.
• Assemble your picture frame and display it for all to see!

Seashell Shadow Box

With your seashells and a little imagination, you can make gorgeous shadow boxes. These are so effortless to make and don’t require that you spend a lot of money. You can buy inexpensive shadow box frames at many stores and all you have to do is arrange your seashells in it.  This will be the perfect keepsake of your beach vacation, so tell your story through your creativity. This is so easy to do, that it’s a great craft to do with your entire family!

Gather Your Supplies:

• Assorted Seashells, Small Pebbles, Rock Stones, Starfish
• Shadow Box Frame of Your Choice 

Instructions:

• Remove the back of the shadow box then put the box on a table with the glass side down.  You can then arrange your seashells, starting at the bottom of the box. To maintain the best balance, place any larger seashells on the bottom layer, followed medium sized seashells in the center and then the smaller ones at the top.
• Be sure to put the seashells in upside down.  You will be looking at the bottom of them so when it’s complete, the front of the seashells will show through the glass.
• If you have gaps between the seashells, fill them in using the small shells, rock stones or pebbles. Once you have filled in all the gaps and feel satisfied with your work, slowly and gently pick up the box.  Tilt the box a bit as to angle it slightly and this will make the shellsfall into their natural position. Once they “settle” you will notice that it might make a gap at the top of your work.  If that happens, just fill the gap in with more shells or pebbles. 
• Take one last look at your work by slowly and carefully holding it above your head so you can see through the glass.  If you are happy with what you’ve created, you can now put the back of the box back in place with provided materials.
• BEFORE you finalize the backing, make sure to check to see if there is too much space between the shells and the back of the box. If so, you should fill in the space with more cardboard, quilt batting or foam.  This will keep the shells from moving.  Make sure whatever material you choose is lightweight.

Note: To make it even more special (as shown in photo), use card stock or paper and write the location and date of your vacation and place it in the bottom corner of your shadowbox before adding the seashells,  You’ll always know where the seashells were from and, you can make a shadowbox of all of your trips. 

Santa Seashell Ornaments

What better way to remember your beach vacation during the cold days of winter and the holidays, by creating some Santa seashell ornaments to display on your Christmas tree? They can bring you a bit of warmth and some beach vibes to your holidays!

I found this great website to help you create your Santa ornaments and hope you find these as fun to make as I did! Visit 1millionideas.com for some shell fun making these ornaments! They also have many other ideas that you can make out of your seashells, such as wind chimes, jewelry, and mirrors! Did you know that you can even make candles our of your shells?

Did you ever wonder about the journey of a seashell? Each one has an interesting and unique journey that can bring the secrets of the sea right to us.  Have you ever thought about where they come from and what stories they might hold? 

“Every seashell has a story.” ― Jack Bauer

Just like a tree and it’s rings, you can tell how old a shell is by it’s rings. Most crustaceans, like crab or shrimp, do outgrow and discard their shells, but soft-bodied ocean creatures, like clams or oysters, stick with theirs and are continually expanding.  This can go on for many years, sometimes centuries, like the quahog clams. 

Seashells have also been used by the ancient Greeks by being ground into toothpaste, or have contributed to medical research.  The venomous cone snail has been used for pain management and other treatments.  

So, the next time you find a beautiful seashell, remember that they are more than just knicknacks left on the beach.  They were once home to an ocean inhabitant that, once they passed, sometimes travel thousands of miles to land on beautiful beaches.

And, speaking of beautiful beaches, Panama City Beach is home to the most beautiful beaches and is world-renowned for their sugar-white sand and crystal clear, aquamarine waters. It is the perfect place to vacation and hunt for those seashells!  If you’re interested in some of the best seashell hunting, be sure to visit Shell Island. You can walk along the cost of the Gulf of Mexico in search of shells while you’re on the island.  You might find sand dollars, conch shells, moon snail shells, and so much more on your search! In fact, Shell Island is ranked among the top 5 beaches for seashell hunting.