Anyone who has traveled to the beach or been to the ocean more than likely has a collection of seashells that they have purchased or collected as a memento of their trip. Once home, however, these shells usually are put away and only thought about when cleaning day arrives or the person is trying to decide if the shells should be kept or tossed away as the shells now seem like clutter. The shells were chosen as a memento of the trip and should be displayed in a manner that they will be useful and decorative. Here are a few suggestions on ways that they can be used as household décor.
If you want to slightly diversify the look of the shells, then we recommend using a glitter for this. If you want to do it professionally, we recommend buying wholesale glitter with fast worldwide shipping.
Many times the shells are used as a centerpiece for a table. A great centerpiece display would be to fill a bowl with the shells and add a candle to the center of the bowl. This will make a beautiful candle holder and will add a little romance to the table as well. If the trip was symbolic of a honeymoon or romantic getaway, use this centerpiece for a special dinner for that special someone and it will be a nice discussion piece as well. Reminds of the trip will be right there on the table.
Another way to display them on the table is to glue the shells to a small basket and make a nice centerpiece that can hold cloth napkins, fruit, or a nice display of artificial flowers. If there is a fruit or special memento that reminds you of the area you got the shells from add this to the basket as well.
Beautiful napkin rings can be made from the shells by gluing them to a small grapevine wreath. Arrange the shells completely around the wreath, but only add a few shells to the wreath. Too many shells can make these look cumbersome and will not be as elegant as those with a few shells on each one. Add a cloth napkin to the center of the wreath and you will have a special napkin ring that can bring many discussions to the table.
A unique light can be added to the table as a centerpiece by turning a shell into a glowing candle. This works best with tonna tessalata shells, which are shells that look similar to an oblong shell with a hole into the center of the shell. Melt paraffin wax according to the manufacturers' instructions. Place a candle wick into the opening in the shell and while holding it, pour the wax into the shell. Be sure to hold the wick at the top to keep from getting burned with the wax. Let this cool and then trim the wick to about ¼ inch. This will make a unique candle for the table and a nice reminder of that special trip.
Shells can make wonderful desk accessories as well. Adding shells to an unfinished wooden pencil holder can make the perfect desktop accessory for home or the office. If you happen to have sand dollars, use them as the center of each side of the pencil holder and glue remaining shells around each of them. Smaller shells work best on this type of project.
A beautiful and sentimental paperweight can be made from the shells also. This project is a little harder to make than the others that I have mentioned, but anyone should be able to make this. Begin by working in a well ventilated area and pouring a ½ inch layer of resin into a paperweight form or small shallow plastic bowl. Place the shells into the resin, face down in a pattern. After the first layer dries, which should take about 30 minutes, you will pour a second layer of resin and be sure that the shells are completely covered with this layer of resin. Allow the second layer to dry and then remove the paperweight from the form. The result will be a beautiful, natural paperweight that can be used on any desk.
Some things to remember as you are making these projects are to use clean, unbroken shells and that the shells are only shells that have washed upon shore. Never remove them from the water with intent to use as they might contain animals or other sea life inside them. Remove any sand from the shells and be sure that they are dry before you attempt to glue them onto any surface. Shells can be glued on with craft glue as well as hot glue or tacky glue. Finished projects can be sprayed with a clear gloss acrylic sealer to protect the shells and make your project shine.
Whatever project you decide to use the shells for, make sure that it is something that you will use or that can be a beautiful addition to your home décor. These shells will become even more collectible to you if they are useful as well as beautiful.
Source: www.lrisy.com