Share on ThriftyFunThis page contains the following solutions. Have something to add? Please share your solution!
A cute soap dish made from sea shells.
By Sandy from Bluff City, TN
This was one of the most fun and memorable things we ever did on a beach vacation with the kids. Sandycast faces made with sea shells.
Comb the beach for great sea shells, broken ones can be cool. Collect shells in a used onion bag, it makes it easier to wash off the sand before you use them or take them home.
Bring some plaster of Paris and an old beach pail and something sturdy to mix it with. Make a shallow, face shaped hole in the sand on the beach. Chose the shells you want to use for eyes, nose, mouth, etc. Keep the shells faced up to see the effect of how they will look when completed.
Reverse the shells and pour the plaster of Paris into the shallow hole. Carve your initials and year on the back. Give it enough time to set before you uncast it. Do not brush too much sand off of the sandycast.
Everyone will love them! They can be displayed on a plate stand because no one will want to put them away too soon. Have fun making memories, kids!
Source: Family Fun Magazine, many moons ago.
By Mother Goose from Royalston, MA
We had a lot of left over little seashells we gathered at the beach. This craft uses up some of those shells for a cute keepsake for all of those wonderful beach memories!
You could do a lot of different things to make this craft your own. Make a 3-D thank you note, make a journal entry about a vacation or the beach, or just make it decorative.
Ask a QuestionHere are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community or ask a new question.
My 5 year old son picked up a ton of seashells while we were at the coast this past summer and I need Ideas of how to use the sea shells in a crafts. I've decorated a picture frame but there are bunch more and he enjoys crafting. Any ideas?
Christy from El Paso, Texas
How about gluing them on flower pots for planters, onto a bulletin board frame, drill some holes and string them and make a wind chime (add some driftwood pieces to this if you have them,) Glue onto a soap dispenser for an ocean theme bathroom.
here are so many things you can do but a couple are as follows:
Glue them around a peice of plastic or plexi-glass that is the size of a large candle you like to use to make a candle ring.
What i did with my shells was i made a wind chime to hang outside & my sister made a wreath out of them.
I have some beautiful sea shells displayed:
Filled a large urn from the garden store w/sand.
Placed the shells on the sand and covered w/a
large clear glass top from the hobbie store. Makes a
really cute "table". This one is sitting on our
patio.
I once made a necklace out of bean clams and one scallop. The scallop was the pendant. Most of the shells already had a hole drilled in the right place, and those that didn't have one, I used a hammer, small nail, and positioned the shell on a piece of 2'x4' to poke the hole. I made it about 30 years ago, and I was getting compliments on it up until a few months ago when I dropped it and my husband stepped on it.
I bought a white 1" dia. rope at the hardware store and i tacked it around the mirror in my bathroom. Then hot glued the shells on it. I had a lot more shells, so bought more rope and put it in the shower on the top of the tile ledge and around the window in the shower and repeated the procedure.
SHELL DUDE..
JUST CHECKED OUT YOUR WEB PAGE
I LOVE IT !!!!!!!!!!
Well thank you very much :-) ... in the future I hope to expand the site with more craft ideas using shells, but one thing for sure... The Shell People are just plain FUN !!!
Does anyone have some suggestions on how to drill small holes in seashells? I need a hole just large enough to allow some monofilament line to pass through it. Thanks
Several postings here have spoken about drilling holes in the shells for jewelry, etc. When I try, I often end up crushing the shell or breaking the drill bit. Any tips for drilling through stubborn or delicate shells?
Sea shells can be used in so many craft projects. This is a page about how to make a sea shell wreath.
This is a page about making a seashell picture frame. Use your seashell collection to create a beautiful picture frame.
By mounting shells individually or in groups you can make some lovely plaques to show off your collection or to enhance your beach decor. This is a page about making a shell plaque.
This is a page about using the right glue for seashell crafts. Certain types of glue work best when working on projects involving gluing shells to other objects.
This is a page about making birds out of seashells. Because of their unique shapes, textures, and colors seashells have many craft uses, including using them to create decorations in the shape of birds.
These shabby chic shell ornaments are easy to make and don't require too many supplies. Hang them on your tree or display year round. Learn how to make them from the project posted below.
Create this very cute bit of decor using mussel and scallop shells. The complete craft with photos, a supplies list, and instructions can be seen below.
Add some paint, glitter, and craft pearls to large sea shells to make these pretty jewelry dishes. They are great to give as gifts or as craft fair items.
