We love shell crafts! They make us think of walks on the beach. And there’s something just so relaxing about decorating with them. Here’s a pretty way to work shells into your decor and make a souvenir from your summer vacation at the same time. A beachy Seashell Frame!
Here’s a video we made showing how we shelled this frame including how we picked which shells to use and where to place them. Plus how to apply the glue. Follow along while we make the frame, then use the steps below to make your own.
How To Make A DIY Seashell Frame
Materials & Tools
Wooden photo frame
Plaid Folk Art Acrylic Craft Paint: Wicker White #901 & Jamaican Sea #320
Sandpaper
Craft paintbrush
Paper towels
E6000 permanent adhesive
Shells
1 starfish, about 2 to 2.5″
2 scallop shells, 1.5″
2 spiral auger shells, 1″
1 cat’s eye shell, 1″
3-4 small conch shells, .5″
3-4 tiny conch shells, .25″
Steps
1. Start by distressing the wooden frame. To do this, paint the frame white. While the paint is still wet, wipe some of the paint away. Let the paint dry. Next paint the frame aqua. Again, while the paint is wet, wipe a bit of the paint away with a paper towel. When the paint dries, sand the edges of the frame lightly to remove some paint and reveal the wood.
2. Arrange the shells on the frame. We chose to decorate the corner of the frame. Start by arranging the largest shells first, then tuck small shells into the nooks and crannies. Glue the scallop shells flanking the corner.
Glue the starfish so it lays with its arms over the two scallop shells.
3. Glue a cat’s eye or a conch-type shell (medium sized) on each side of the scallop shells. When it comes to applying the glue, we think it’s helpful to set the shell on the frame to see where the touch points are. Apply the glue to the shell at those points.
4. Add small shells to each side of the shell cluster extending the design along the side and bottom. Fill in with tiny shells.
Do you love seashell crafts as much as we do? What have you made with shells? Let us know! We’d love to hear from you! Leave us a comment below!
Happy Crafting,
Jennifer & Kitty
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