Shells make a great natural addition to any home, particularly if you live on the coasts. The unique design and color of each shell make them perfect for a unique home accent. Here are some craft ideas on how to incorporate them into everyday items.
Shell frame
I don’t mean those shell frames that are laden with shells that a kindergartener put together with tacky glue. You can decorate a frame for family pictures on the beach with a few strategically placed shells. Flat shells work best for this project, but the spiral ones can also work. Repaint a wooden craft frame with a light blue, tan, or white. Allow to dry and seal it with the appropriate wood save varnish. If you are really artistic you can paint free hand or stencil a light house on one side of the frame and a few seagulls in the opposite corner (hint: omit the varnish part until last if you plan to do this part). Place shells in a manner that they will complement your frame, but not overtake it. Sometimes it only takes two or three to do the job. Glue them on with hot glue, hiding the glue behind each shell. After they have dried on, you will need to put another coat of sealer over the entire frame and the shells. This will help keep the color and give a glossy look to the whole thing. If you prefer not to have ‘shiny’ shells, you can just varnish the painted frame and then glue on the shells.
You can also paint onto the shells initials or designs if you feel ambitious.
Shell bottle or container
This next one takes no real artistic abilities. Purchase a good amount of mini shells (these are usually very cheap). Find a wide mouthed cork bottle with a classic design. One that is shaped like a shell or an antique spice bottle will work great. Fill the bottle with the shells, replace the cork, and place on a book shelf or lamp table. If you are afraid of children pulling off the cork and pouring the contents all over the floor, than just put a little glue around the cork before inserting it; be sure it is a clear drying glue and you don’t overdo it.
If you want something that would go great next to your shell frame or other sea-inspired decorations on a table, you can purchase a small wide-mouthed container. You can usually find these with sea designs already on them. A circular or squared container works great as long as it has a small lip at the top; place foam at the bottom and glue shells and mini starfish onto the top of the foam. If you opt to just dump the shells into the container, you might find it difficult to keep cleaning it up; but if you have them all glued to a piece of hidden foam in the base, you won’t have to worry about clean up or re-arranging it.
Candles
You can also decorate candle votives with mini shells to go with your sea theme. Place large shells at the base of a candle or glue them to the sides. You can also buy a small wooden boat at a craft store, paint it yourself, and place a candle into the base, with strewn shells long the bottom. This makes a cute homemade shell-inspired home accent with little monetary and time investments.
So with a single visit to the craft store and a little time in the afternoon or evening, you can have some unique shell-inspired accents for your home.
