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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!
By Jayme from Harrisonburg, VA
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. Use seashells and other items you may see along the seaside.
Approximate Time: 30-45 minutes
Enjoy the memories!
By Jayme from Harrisonburg, VA
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?
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.
You can glue them around a mirror the size needed to make a perfume or makeup tray.
Glue them around a flower pot to make it decorative.
I hope this gives you some ideas to go from.
Have fun.
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.
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 just strung shells on white crochet cotton and started crocheting. Every so often I crocheted a stitch over a shell to hold it where I wanted it, then crocheted a little more. I tied it at the back of the neck with a bow, but it was long enough to slip over my head. Wish I had some more of those cute little bean clam shells! You could also string beads inbetween the shells and then you wouldn't have to crochet. The beads would hold the shells in place.
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?
If you want something fun and easy to do with small shells you can make candles. Buy cheap pillar candles, I liked the white. Use the tip of your hot glue gun to melt a spot on the candle and press a shell into the wax. You just have to hold it until the wax starts to set. If you do the bottom half of the candle this way and then tie a piece of raffia ribbon around the center it makes for a nice accent piece in a bathroom or anywhere.
I saw some really amazing shell craft in the gallery of www.thenantucketbasket.com see what you think.
Could someone give me advise on how to clean delicate mother of pearl sea shells. They are very thin and colorful. A tip on how to bring and maintain them looking shiny. I am afraid that the bleach might destroy them completely. They are so beautiful that I don't want to risk not even one. Any tips would be appreciated. By Unis
I found using a dremil on low and slowly drilling the hole releasing pressure off and on helps with less breakage. This way you don't break through the end so quickly. Also drill the inside so the arch is flat. Hope this helps.
When we go to the beach we always have TONS of shells we bring back and we have no idea of what to do with them. So finally we came up with the idea of putting them on inexpensive frames to "dress them up a bit". They are really cute and fun.
Materials needed are: hot glue gun, (and glue for it of course), a simple picture frame, and plenty of sea shells. Then you go at it with your own creative touch.
I would like to share with all beader friends about making of Sea Shell Jewelry that I posted at my blog.
http://jewelry-skills.blogspot.com Have fun!
Sea shells can be used in so many craft projects. This is a guide about how to make a sea shell wreath.
This is a guide 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 guide about making a shell plaque.
This is a guide 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 guide 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.
Scallop and pistachio shells lend themselves to a variety of fun craft projects. Learn how to make a tropical fish from shells, on this page.
You can make a cute bunny from scallop and mussel shells with your glue gun and acrylic paints to draw the face.
There are several products that will allow you to put a silver colored edge on shells for craft projects and decorative items. This is a guide about putting silver edging on a seashell.
This is a guide about making a seashell mirror. Use that shell collection that has been collecting dust on the closet shelf to create a beautiful mirror to complement your decor.
Sea shells are used in many craft projects including the creating of lovely shell flowers. This is a guide about how to make a seashell rose.
This is a guide about decorating with sea shells. Whether you are a collector or simply like to buy pretty unique shells at coastal shops, you can incorporate them into many lovely craft projects.
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