When I’m at the beach (which is quite often!), I always seem to pick up a pretty shell or two and pocket them as mementos. Slowly, these shells have accrued in the corner of my house, and I finally decided that I had to do something about the situation and find a way to put them to good use. There are tons of craft ideas out there for repurposing shells, but these are my favorite! Here are three great projects to turn your beach souvenirs into lovely home trinkets:
1. Shell Collection Display: An easy way to use your seashell collection is to put them out for the world to see. Find apothecary jars and glass vials at flea markets and thrift stores to use as displays for your collection. If you’re a world-traveler, start collecting sand and shells from beaches that you’ve visited, and put them in their own bottle. Add labels and make note of where each jar came from. Your display will not only look stunning in your home, but will be a great conversation starter about your travels for guests!
(image courtesy of Marthastewart.com)
2. Seashell Lights: I saw this picture on Marthastewart.com and I knew I had to make this! Sure, you can probably buy these lights from her site, but I figured this project was simple enough (and cheaper!) to do on my own. Go to your local hardware store and buy a set of white tree lights (or go through your garage and find old Christmas lights! I’d rather avoid the hassles of untangling, though) Take each of your shells and, using a pair of tweezers, carefully superglue them onto the string in front of each bulb. Let dry, hang and enjoy!
3. Shell Dish: I love this one because it’s so simple. The hardest part about this project will be finding a big enough shell. Once that’s done, you’ll need to make sure that all of the living tissue on the shell is gone. You can do this by either boiling it or freezing it for a day or two. After the shell is clean, simply use it as a soap dish in your kitchen or bathroom.
So simple and fun, right? Which one of these three projects is your favorite?