Seashell DIYs—3 Simple and Stylish Ways to Use Souvenir Shells!
Seashells can be found at pretty much every beach in Florida. Whether you’re strolling along the Space Coast at Cocoa Beach or enjoying the Gulf Coast via Honeymoon Island State Park, shells will come tumbling toward your feet in the tide. Sanibel Island is Florida’s premiere shelling locale (and #1 in the United States!) for its beautiful variety and bountiful quantity of shells.
Gorgeous and free of charge, seashells are the perfect souvenirs. Bringing one home is like bringing back a little piece of the ocean. However, as you fill a bucket with your finds, you have to wonder what exactly you’re going to do with twenty billion pieces of natural treasure. Well, wonder no more—these unique and chic seashell DIYs are the perfect excuse to get out there and keep collecting!
Beachy Bookmark
If you’re like me, then beach day isn’t complete without a good book. But what if it was the other way around? With this simple seashell DIY, you can have a bit of the beach with your favorite book no matter where you’re at! For this craft, you’ll turn your seashell into a stylish pendant that marks your page.
What You Need:
- Smallish Seashell
- Polymer Clay
- String, Twine, or Cord
- Beads
Now, this going to sound strange, but start by preheating the oven. No, we’re not making a snack (although, snacks are crucial to good crafting), this is just for the polymer clay. The package should give you a time and temp, but 275 degrees for 15 minutes per 1/4 inch is a good rule of thumb.1
You can use whatever color of clay you want—or even paint it after it’s baked!—I just used a light blue for beach vibes. You’ll want to create a flat, nickel-sized charm. The shape really doesn’t matter, just so long as it’s big enough for your seashell of choice! You can make a teardrop, oval, circle, or free-style blob. (Blobs are the best!)
Once you’re satisfied with the shape, press your shell into the clay, sort of like making a thumbprint cookie. You can gently smooth the clay around the shell’s edge for a finished look and to seal it in the clay. Use a toothpick—or mechanical pencil, LOL!—to make a hole big enough for the string to pass through.
Bake for about fifteen minutes and let cool.
Note: If you choose to paint your pendant, I would recommend lightly pressing the shell into the clay to create an indentation of where you want it to go, then removing it before baking. Paint the pendant, then hot glue (or super glue) the shell into place.
While your pendant is cooling, you can cut a length of string for your bookmark. I would recommend a little over twelve inches, as it will be shortened after making knots. This should make your bookmark long enough for those hefty hardcovers! (I used an actual book to help me measure my string.)
I’ve found it’s easiest to start at the “top” of the bookmark and work my way down. So, you’ll start with a knot at one end, string on a bead or two, then tie a knot behind them to keep them in place.
Skip a page length down the string and tie your next knot and string a handful of beads onto your bookmark. They can be fun and colorful, or maybe letter beads that spell out the name of the beach you visited. Make a knot at the end of this section to keep the beads in place.
Lastly, tie your pendant to the end of the bookmark. Now you’re ready to read in paradise!
Protip: Add a dab of Elmer’s Glue to the end of the string to keep it from fraying.
Oh, and by the way, you can also turn a shell pendant into a necklace or keychain!
Radiant Ring Dish
Using a seashell as a ring dish certainly isn’t a new idea. In fact, it might not seem worthy of being on a list of seashell crafts. You just set your shell on your dresser and that’s it, right?
Well, you could do that, or you could make it ~fancy~ with a touch of tissue paper and mod podge! I think the choice is obvious…
What You Need:
- Medium or Large Bivalve (Hinged) Shell
- Tissue Paper
- Mod Podge or Elmer’s Glue
- Paintbrush
For this seashell DIY, you can keep it simple or make it elaborate. The first way to do this is with tissue paper. You can go with a single solid color, patterned paper, or make a mosaic with several different papers! The choice is up to you. Simply cut or tear a piece of tissue paper that’s roughly the size of your shell and brush over it with mod podge. You can use a dab of mod podge to attach the paper to the shell before you start slathering—this helps keep it in place as you coat it!
If you’re using patterned paper, then you’ll have to be more deliberate with your brushstrokes to avoid wrinkling or tearing the pattern. However, if you’ve got a solid color, you can easily fill in any tears with another scrap of paper. (Yes, I speak from experience.) And of course, several bits of torn paper tossed together is the rule for a mosaic version!
If you want to make your ring dish even fancier, you can sprinkle in a pinch of glitter or coat the edge of the shell with metallic paint for a bit of bling.
Protip: Don’t have mod podge on hand? That’s okay! Elmer’s Glue (not the washable school kind) works just fine. It’ll give a matte finish rather than glossy, which is equally chic!
Desk Buddy, AKA “Clammy of the Clams”
Years ago, my Aunt Joanie gave me the sweetest gift—a handmade seashell trinket named Clammy of the Clams. He’s such good company, I decided to make a Clammy Jr. with my own vacation shells!
Souvenir seashells were once home to living creatures, and sea-themed desk buddies are a fun way to pay homage to those critters while creating a unique memento of vacation memories.
What You Need:
- Bivalve (Hinged) Shells
- Polymer Clay
- Googly Eyes
- Hot Glue or Super Glue
- Rock or Driftwood
I picked a light tan colored clay for my clam’s body, but peach, light pinks, and beige would also work if you’re going for a natural look. But don’t let that box you in—I think a purple clam would be too cute!
Depending on the size of your shells, the amount of clay you’ll need will vary. Pick out two shells that fit together to form a whole clam, then stuff your clay into the bottom half. You can build it up, or pinch some out, as necessary until it’s just right—that is, raised enough so the shells won’t fall shut and with room for googly eyes!
Once Clammy’s body has been shaped to your satisfaction, you can stick that bottom half in the oven for a few minutes to cure it…or you can do what I did and get so excited about Clammy, that you forget about the oven and just hot glue the googly eyes right on. (Whoops.)
Once Clammy’s body has been baked, you can properly hot glue the googly eyes and top shell into place.
He’s alive!
Next, you’ll want to attach Clammy to a rock or piece of driftwood for his habitat (it’s actually a base so he sits up!). I chose to give my Clammy some “paws” using a couple of tiny shells. I thought it added to his personality. Depending on the type of shells you collected, Clammy’s paws might be enough to hold him in an upright position without a base.
And that’s it! Now you have an adorable desk buddy to brighten your day.
I hope you enjoyed these seashell craft ideas! Not only are they a great way to display your souvenir shells, but they also make lovely handmade, heartfelt gifts. Let me know if you make any of these seashell DIYs and tell me how they turned out in the comments below!
P.S. Don’t forget to turn your oven off!
Happy Crafting!
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Photo: MouseEars TV Creative Editor
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