15 Ways to Use Shells
Joan Whetzel
Ahhh! Warm summer days at the beach. Wriggling your toes into the sand. The taste of salt water accidentally swallowed when a wave washes over your face. Building sandcastles, then smashing them. Beachcombing for the best shells and sand dollars. If you go to the beach a lot, you've probably taken part in this popular pasttime and may have built up a fine collection of shells over the years. There are an amazing number of ideas for using those shells, which of course, includes proudly displaying them.
- Create Christmas ornaments. Use Dreml tool to drill small holes in one end of your favorite shells. Use jewelry findings from the craft store or simply insert a ornament hook through the hole and hang it on the tree.
- Baptisms. One way to pour the baptismal water over the baby's head is with a nice scallop shell. Check with your church and pastor beforehand.
- Seafood Appetizer Serving Dish. Great for small dishes like something containing bay scallops or those tiny shrimp, or some seafood appetizer dip. Make sure the shells are thoroughly cleaned beforehand.
- Mixed Media Artwork. This could be any type of artwork you can dream up that uses more than one type of media including attachments of found objects like shells.
- Shell Sculptures.
- Clay Molds.
- Sandcastle Molds.
- Mirror Frames. Angelo52 has a Hub on glues for seashells that would be ideal for this.
- Displayed Under a Glass Top Table. Add some sand and display the shells artistically in any way that appeals to you.
- Wind Chimes. Use the Dreml tool to drill small holes in the shells and string them together with wire, string, or fishing nylon. Then tie them to a round disk with a hook in the center. Either hang them outside where the wind will catch them or near an air conditioning/ heating vent where they will be stirred any time the air or heat comes on.
- Fill a Clear Glass Lamp Base. This will give any room a nautical feel.
- Display Shells in Clear Glass Jars or Vases. Separate the shells into same shell types, one type of shell for each jar or vase. Then display them on a shelving unit or in a curio cabinet.
- Display Larger Shells as Individual Pieces of Nature's Art.
- Suspend Them From the Ceiling in a Fishing Net.
- Photography. Photograph them close up or zoom out for a compilation shot. There's no limit to the ways that shells can be photographed with a cool effect.
The great thing about shells is that they come in a wide array of shapes, sized, and colors so that each piece of artwork or display model you assemble will be unique. There are also a number of ways to decorate the shells themselves. Angelo52 has written quite a few hubs on this topic. One includes a way to use Polyurethane Paint with Seashell Crafts it can be found at: http://angelo52.hubpages.com/hub/poly-paint-seashell-crafts