DIY Crafts Shells Ideas

Find our DIY Crafts Shells Ideas for you in this application.

Picked up a few seashells during your last beach trip? Or have a seashell collection you'd like to show off? Here are our readers' ideas for how to use those seashells in beautiful crafts.

Seashell Crafts

Last year for Christmas, my sister used her collection of shells to fill the inside of clear glass lamps. Of course, large lamps take more shells to fill than smaller lamps. Another person had taken an empty lamp of clear glass and was filling it with match packets from every place he visited.

Seashell Scene/Scented Oil Plug In

Fill a rose bowl with seashells and wind a miniature 20 light set of Christmas lights through the shells. Top with a piece of crochet, or lace and tie with a ribbon - red or green for Christmas. Add a couple of drops of scented oil - plug in and you have a beautiful homemade "scented oil plug in".

Seashell Frame

I had someone build some plain flat wooden frames for me. Then I painted them, and glued the seashells on them. You can also use pine bark nuggets to make a pretty frame. Let your imagination run wild.

Seashell Chimes

Seashells make great wind chimes! Drill holes and string them from large to small, hang from crossed dowels painted in a complimentary color.

Sailor's Valentine

In the early sea going days, sailors would collect shells from all over the world and create what is called a “sailor’s valentine.” I took that idea and created many gifts! All it is a box

Decorating with Shells

Use small shells for decorating picture frames. Large clam type shells can be used for holiday decorations; use miniature trees and people with a picture of snow scenery. Drill a hole in the top of each shell, glue picture to inside of shell, and then glue trees and people (carolers, animals, etc.) to the back of the shell. Use paints to finish, add names, greetings etc. Then string a ribbon or cord through hole and hang. Mine have been hanging outside for 9 years. Use the ones that look like conch shells and glue silk flowers inside in proportion to size. My children took the flat sand dollars and painted them with Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas, and all the other greeting that they could think of, drilled a small hole in each, and put wire through for hanging.

Seashell Collage

I've made several using small pieces of driftwood, sea shells and small, pretty stones - all picked up at the beach. Get a piece of board (plywood, etc.) and cut it into a 1 ft. x 2ft. size. Glue the driftwood, stones and shells in a pattern with a good strong glue (not Elmer's - an epoxy type is better). Add a hook on the back or string wire from the top to hang it. My Mother has 2 of them: one on an inside wall and the other on the outside. She removes the outside one when it's too stormy but it does survive quite well outside.

Decorating a Bathroom with Seashells

The latest thing I have done is I just recently decorated my bathroom with a sea theme, lighthouses and beach things. Of course I used shells. I filled a bowl with sea sand and put the shells on top in arrangement that was pleasing to me. I bought some gel candles from the craft store. I then melted the candle gel, put in a wick; you have to anchor the wick down. It will float to top otherwise (I found out the hard way.) Then pour (slowly) the melted gel in bowl on top of everything. After it set up, it was cute. You could hot glue tiny shells around top or tie raffia around the top of the bowl and glue a shell on the bow. I also have glued the small shells around the frame on a mirror, framed sea shells in a shadow box frame, and glued the shells on the roof of bird houses to look like shingles. Hope this will get your creative crafting juices flowing!