Every person, having visited the sea, wants to bring something as a keepsake. These are usually shells that can be picked up on the beach. Check out modern ideas for handicrafts made from clam shells.
Before starting work, you should familiarize yourself with the recommendations for preparing the material.
Clam removal
Before creating a beautiful interior element or decoration out of them, you need to make sure that there are no fragments of a mollusk left inside.
To do this, you need to boil the shells, remove the remains of the body, and then hold the shells in cold water with the addition of a part of a chlorine tablet or whiteness.
If the shells have a black coating, or the remains of the natural top layer, then you can remove them with a brush. Small sharp chips can be sanded down with size 0 emery paper.
To show the design of the sink and give it a shiny surface, use a manicure varnish.
Drilling holes
For many crafts, holes must be made in the shells.
- For this, drills from 0.8 to 2 mm in diameter, installed in a screwdriver, are suitable.
- If there is no such tool, you can use a regular needle, or a thin nail.
- A steel needle is harder than a sink, so it can drill a hole too.
- To do this, you need to make an initial puncture, and carefully ream it in a circular motion.
- Sometimes seashells crack from this procedure.
- It should not be forgotten that a thicker drill is selected for drilling a thicker shell.
- Accordingly, thread and accessories should also be suitable.
- Better to fix the shell with tape and drill through it.
Bracelet with cowrie
The shells of these molluscs are so beautiful that they were once used in the islands of Oceania instead of money. If you have a shell like this, try making a fashion accessory.
The furniture is sold in the textile departments of the markets.
You will need:
- Kauri;
- Cord;
- "Muline";
- Beads or large beads;
- End clamps with hinges;
- Clasp;
- Slit ring;
- Scissors;
- Pliers.
Operating procedure:
- We make holes in the shell from the ends.
- We measure out 2 dm of silk cord.
- We pass it through a half-length hole and tie a knot on the outside of the shell.
- We do the same with the second hole.
- We put together several threads of a floss of a suitable color, throw it over the cord next to the cowrie, and tie it with a small piece of cord. It turns out a brush. For example, in our photo, a purple floss brush contrasts with the color of white cowrie, gold beads and blue cord.
- We collect beads or seed beads to the right and left of the shell.
- We bend the ends of the cord in half and push it into the clamps. We squeeze the end switches with pliers and cut off the excess.
- We attach a ring to one end, and a carbine to the other. The bracelet is ready!
The music of wind
Small seashells can be used to make wind chimes. Their ringing is pleasing to the ear.
Tools and materials:
- Strong thread;
- Plank or branch;
- Scissors;
- Super glue;
- Drill with drill;
- Small shells.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Tie a twine to the branch. Make as many rows of twine as you see fit. Do not forget that to tie the shells, you need to make allowances for the length of the cord for knots.
- If you decide to tie shells, then make holes in them in advance. The shells are tied by making a knot around the shell itself, or by making a knot that is larger than the hole.
- If you decide to attach the elements with glue, glue the shells to the threads.
- The length of the rows can be even, obliquely cut, longer at the edges, shorter in the middle. You can also alternate the threads along the length, as in our photo.
- When everything is ready, tie a piece of cord to the bar in order to hang the product somewhere.
Shell frame
Even a child can make this simple design element. Most often this is a photo frame. You can use the natural color of the shells, or bring them all to the same color using spray cans.
Required elements:
- Frame;
- Shells of any kind;
- Super glue;
- Decorative items - beads, buttons, ribbons.
Here you need to adhere to the rule: first, large shells are attached, then the space is filled with smaller shells.
The combination of shells with fin looks stylish - pieces of wood rounded by the sea, sea pebbles, as in this photo.
Romantic candles
Sea shells are almost ready-made candlesticks that can be used to create a romantic mood.
Materials for work:
- Large seashells;
- Foil candles (any);
- PVA glue.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Remove the candle from the foil and remove the wick from it by pulling on the base at the bottom of the candle. Return the candles to the foil.
- Glue the wick in the center of the shell.
- Melt the paraffin wax on the stove to a liquid state and use pliers or tweezers to pour the contents into the shell.
If you are afraid that the paraffin will harden unevenly, first set the shell firmly. After the paraffin has set, the candle is ready.
Pendant with pearl
To make a pendant, you will need a lace, a scallop shell and a bead - imitation of pearls. The scallop is covered with a colorless varnish, two holes for the lace are drilled in it. A pearl is glued to the upper part of the inner surface of the comb.
Valentine
You can make an original valentine from small white shells. The valentine itself is cut out of thick cardboard, it is desirable to make it red, and white shells are glued along the edge of the contour of the heart.
Children's crafts from shells
Children usually make applications or panels from shells.
- Fish applique - Scallop shells depicting fish are glued to hard cardboard with glue.
- Turtle applique - You can make a sea turtle from a large scallop. The paws and head can be made from matching green sea bottle shards or flat sea pebbles.
In addition, you can make many more beautiful things from seashells. Your imagination here can be limitless.
Photo of crafts from shells
