Well      09.10.2023

What can be made from rapan shells. Original DIY crafts from seashells. DIY crafts from shells for children

Summer is the time for long-awaited family trips, holidays on the seashores and small fun adventures. Surely, in addition to pleasant impressions and a bronze tan, you, or rather your child, brought with you various shells and other sea “treasures”, which you painstakingly collected on the beach every day. It will be very interesting for both your child and you to make original crafts from shells with your own hands. After all, even the process of creating it will help you remember fun days spent on vacation. Crafts made from seashells, a beautiful natural and durable material, can decorate the most sophisticated interior and give it a slight touch of mystery.

Preparing shells for work. Cleansing

Before you start making crafts from shells, you need to clean them thoroughly - just soak them in a solution of water and any chlorine-containing product, for example, bleach. If you want to remove the dark outer layer, soak them longer, then brush the shells and rinse them in clean water. If desired, you can add shine to them with clear nail polish or furniture polish, or with oil or heavy cream. But, in this case, before gluing the shells, the gluing areas will have to be additionally degreased with alcohol.

A gift that is not properly decorated loses its festive atmosphere and surprise effect. And souvenir bags and boxes are not a cheap pleasure. But there is a way out - make it for the people you love

Drilling holes

Some types of shell crafts, such as wind chimes, garlands, beads, bracelets and other decorations, require drilling a hole. This is quite easy to do, the only difficulty is that the shells may crack or delaminate at the drilling site. Therefore, remember the main rule: the thinner the sink, the smaller the hole should be in it.

Method 1. Select a drill bit with a diameter of 0.8 - 2 mm. Place the shell on a wooden board and secure it with masking tape. Drill the hole directly along the tape - it will prevent the shell from splitting or delaminating.

Seashells are a popular way to decorate home interiors. Reminds me of a vacation at sea, azure water, sandy beach and sunsets on the coast. DIY shell crafts are a cool way to decorate a room and give the interior an original look.

Decorative elements purchased in the store are good, but everything that is made with one’s own strength and labor is more pleasant to show to guests. This hobby helps to take a break from the routine of everyday work and calm your nerves. It lifts your spirits when you see the result at the end - a beautiful craft made in a single copy. There is no second one in the world!

Read our article to the end if you are ready to spend the evening having a pleasant fuss with shells. We'll tell you and show you how to cast magic with your hands without magic, creating unusual things for your home from scrap materials.

How to use seashells for the interior

A unique apartment interior is an expensive pleasure if you hire a designer. You will have to spend a decent amount of money for a couple of original figurines or crafts if you buy them in a specialized store. Use sleight of hand and imagination to save the family budget by creating a cozy atmosphere at home.

Decorating with seashells is part of the eco-style. Eco-style is popular in the West, but it will never reach us. Be an example for your family and friends. Show how to extend the life of household items: mirrors, photo frames, paintings, empty bottles, jars, boxes, flower pots and other trinkets. Dilute the everyday comfort with bright and colorful elements - updating the appearance of your home will be beneficial. Create a nautical style for your bathroom – classic will never go out of style.

You always need to change something in life. Start with the interior of the apartment.

Large and small shells, pebbles, sand, and pearls are suitable for work. Natural materials do not deteriorate over the years - eternal beauty. This is the perfect gift for a loved one who reminds you of you every day. Please note that the process will not take much time. You don’t have to buy expensive equipment or spend a lot of effort and nerves on work. Everything ingenious is simple.

How to prepare material for work

If you collect material yourself on the seashore, you should be careful. Clean before use. Inspect everything you brought home after your walk. “Dead” shells without shellfish remains will have to be soaked in water. Add some white or something like that. Soak for half an hour. When the sinks are very dirty, you will have to wait longer until the surface becomes clean. After the procedure, remove plaque with a brush and rinse under running water. They are now ready for use.

When “live” ones are encountered, the processing process is different. It is impossible for shellfish remains to remain in them - a guarantee of an unpleasant odor. Therefore, throw seafood into boiling water for 5-10 minutes. After boiling, you will have to remove the remains by hand using tweezers or scissors.

Then repeat the first point from our instructions - we wrote about it above.

Be careful, because chips on shells are dangerous - they cut and prick. Be sure to inspect everything you have prepared for work. Sand the chips with sandpaper. Use furniture varnish to achieve a high-gloss shine. If needlewomen are going to drill a hole, select thicker and larger samples. Thin ones can break when drilling.

Are you planning to renovate your bathroom or want to add something creative to the interior - it’s easy! Take a mirror, a set of shells, beads, glue. Carefully glue the decoration along the outline to create a frame. The store sells artificial starfish - add them to the composition. The main thing here is imagination. Look for different options on the Internet if nothing comes to mind.

Before starting work, protect the mirror from scratches by placing a cloth or paper on the surface.

  1. Glass jewelry

Use your imagination, but you don’t have to come up with something unusual. Take a transparent vase, put shells, pour water and place a flower. It looks interesting even in such a simple design. Unnecessary cans, bottles, glasses are ideal for this.

  1. Marine wall panel

A simple but original wall decoration made from improvised materials - a panel. It takes a minimum of effort and imagination. Arm yourself with a glue gun, cardboard, scissors, and shells. Add bright pebbles or beads, flowers made of polymer clay - they dilute the composition and give a unique look.

You will need to make a cardboard base: heart, round, square. Don't forget to make holes for the twine, with which you can easily hang the panel on the wall. Place the prepared material on the cardboard based on your imagination. In any case, you will get an original decoration to create coziness.

Romantic people came up with a practical use - candlesticks. Look at home for unnecessary glasses, jars, and deep small cups. Fill with sand, stones, and place shells on top. Place the candle in the center, placing it securely so that it does not fall. Looks adorable!


Lovers of growing fresh flowers decorate pots. Buy high-quality and waterproof glue, and any pot for processing will do. The surface must be clean. Make the composition to your liking - cover the entire pot or partially. Add a few shells to the ground near the flower to complete the look.

  1. Hawaiian style

Turn your country house into a little piece of paradise. Not only an inflatable pool will help you transport yourself to the Hawaiian coast. Seafood decor creates a cozy atmosphere, a summer atmosphere, and complements the interior. Prepare material for drilling holes - make garlands of starfish, shells and beads. Hang it around the entire perimeter of the yard: house, fence, gazebo, bathhouse. Turn on the New Year's lights if electricity is provided at the dacha. Looks bright!

  1. Topiary for the bedroom

Creating coziness in the bedroom is very important - this is a room where people spend a lot of time. Try making a creative craft - topiary. Made in the shape of a tree in a pot, but instead of a living plant they use different materials for needlework. You can make a tree for yourself in one evening. Make it for your friends tomorrow.

You will need polystyrene foam in the form of a ball (diameter at your discretion) - this is the crown of the tree. The trunk is made either from a real twig, or an artificial material is taken (tube, stick, etc.). For a flowerpot, find a jar, deep cup, miniature bucket, glass or something similar. The fixing mixture is usually made from gypsum or alabaster.

Use your creativity to make your topiary a work of art.

It is very popular to hang a dream catcher in the bedroom, but it is better to exchange an ordinary thing for a decoration made of shells. You will need to find fishing line, a stick for the base, and glue. Drill small holes with a drill. Make 3-5 threads, securing them to the base by stringing shells. You need to hang it so as not to accidentally break the structure.

  1. Real sea in an aquarium

If you have fish in an aquarium, put the most beautiful shells from your collection on the bottom. Before adding, clean them of shellfish remains. There is no need to clean store-bought ones. White sand at the bottom will complement the composition. The seascape lifts the mood, and the fish get a natural landscape in the aquarium.

You can use decorative material for any idea. Decorate simple items and turn them into unique handmade items. An ordinary box or box for cosmetics will be an excellent subject for experimentation. Cover it with different shells and beads - it will fit perfectly into the bathroom design.

With a little time and effort, old things can take on new life. Not everyone lives on the seashore or near a river, so you can get working material in specialized stores. Or order online – prices are lower and there is more choice. You don't have to buy real shells at exorbitant prices. Buy artificial ones if you don't want to spend money. They look almost the same.

The article talked about crafts from shells that can be made at home without large financial costs. They will become an original element of the interior in an apartment or country house. Do simple crafts with your children - this is an exciting family hobby.

You always want to bring some kind of souvenir from your vacation so that it later reminds you of the sea and the wonderful time spent there. And one of these souvenirs is most often shells. Shells are a “house” for mollusks and they are divided into two types: bivalves and gastropods. Both types of shells are used in crafts and sometimes completely unexpected compositions are obtained. Let's look at several options that you can implement together with your child.

Simple shell fish

This craft is ideal for children 3, 4, 5 years old. It is simple to implement and looks very interesting. You can take the fish to a kindergarten or decorate a room with it, for example, select an area in the room and make it in a marine style by gluing such fish on the wall.

You will need:

  • Felt pen or plasticine (for eyes)

Progress:

  1. We choose a medium-sized shell and glue fins from small shells to it.
  2. The upper and lower fins, as well as the tail, are attached with the convex side up; however, like all the others, we glue them under the lower part of the body.
  3. We attach the side fin approximately to the middle of the large shell.
  4. Now we make the eye out of plasticine or draw it with a felt-tip pen. The eye is made on the tapering part of the shell so that this part looks like a mouth. Our beautiful and simple fish is ready. You can color it at your discretion.

Seashell flowers

One of the most beautiful crafts made from shells are flowers. You can give them to your family and friends, as well as decorate the interior of your home. If you are tired of ordinary flowers, then this option is best suited. This composition is designed for older children, starting from first grade. To make a rose craft with your own hands, watch our master class with photo and video instructions and step-by-step description.

You will need:

  • Bivalve shells of different sizes
  • Small spiral shells
  • Skewers
  • Glue gun
  • Paints

Progress:

  1. Paint the skewer green in advance; it will act as a flower stem.
  2. On the sharp side of the skewer, using glue, attach the spiral shell with the hollow side up. It will be more convenient if you find a shell without a sharp end, so that it is easier and more reliable to glue it.
  3. Next, we divide the bivalve shells by size. The first 3 petals should be slightly larger or the same size as the central shell. We paste 3 shells over the center so that they look like petals.
  4. The next row we attach larger shells. Thus, we will have all the rows enlarged, for a more voluminous and open bud.
  5. We make flower leaves by gluing 3 shells together edgewise. Now let's glue the leaves to the stem.
  6. All we have to do is paint the petals white and the leaves green. You can make more of these flowers and you will get a whole bouquet of original flowers.

Shell Valentine

For those who are tired of ordinary valentines, such an original craft made from shells would be an excellent gift for Valentine’s Day. It’s very easy to make, all you need is imagination and shells. You can also involve your younger brother or sister in the execution process.

You will need:

  • Seashells of various sizes and shapes
  • PVA glue
  • Cardboard (preferably from a box)
  • Paints
  • Scissors
  • Twine

Progress:

  1. Cut out a heart of the desired size from cardboard.
  2. Paint both sides with blue paint in 2 layers.
  3. Using scissors, make 2 small holes in the top of the heart and thread the twine through so the valentine can be hung on the wall.
  4. Now we make the first layer of small bivalve shells. They can be broken, it will look more natural.
  5. Next, we take shells of other types and decorate our background. These can be various shells, and a starfish will also look beautiful.
  6. Thus, we place the shells as your imagination tells you. Our original gift is ready!

Video valentine for February 14

Bright crab

Making a beautiful craft from shells is not difficult, and today we will make a crab. It will be a souvenir or a gift to your friends, or a cute crab will decorate your interior, it’s up to you. It is easy to do, so you can make several crabs of different sizes by involving your child in this process.

You will need:

  • Double shell
  • Two swirled shells
  • PVA glue
  • Dye
  • Red yarn

Progress:

  1. You need to paint the shells with paint so that the color is saturated, do this twice. Let the shells dry completely.
  2. After this, paint the eyes of the crab with white and black paint; you can use ready-made ones. You can also use plasticine if you don’t have paint on hand.
  3. From red yarn you need to cut 12 ropes of the same size, these will be the paws. It is worth gluing them to the inside of the shell.
  4. You need to glue twisted shells to the two front legs.
  5. You should work with glue carefully so that it does not go beyond the edges of the craft. Our crab is ready!

Christmas tree made of shells

Decorative Christmas trees are made from various available materials, and shells are no exception. The Christmas tree will turn out elegant and unusual, because shells are mainly used for summer crafts. This way you can surprise your guests and decorate the New Year’s interior of your home.

You will need:

  • Valve shells of different sizes
  • Spiral shell and small starfish
  • Red beads
  • Cardboard
  • PVA glue
  • Paints

Progress:

  1. We make a cone out of cardboard.
  2. We coat the lower part of the cone in a circle with glue, and apply larger shells with the inside out.
  3. We do this row by row, moving up. The closer to the top, the smaller the shells should be.
  4. When the entire Christmas tree is glued to the very top of the head, glue a spiral shell and a starfish on it. If there is no star, you can get by with just a shell.
  5. When the entire structure is ready, paint it green and the star red.
  6. Glue beads onto the cavities of the shells for decoration.
  7. Place the Christmas tree in the most visible place in the room.

Little Frog

You can use shells to make a cute frog that your child will really like. It is done quite simply and interestingly. We have made a complete description of the craft with step-by-step instructions to make it easier and faster for you and your child to understand the process.

You will need:

  • Bivalve shells of different sizes (2 shells - 4-5 cm, 2 - 3 cm, 2 - 2 cm, 4 - 1 cm)
  • Glue gun
  • Paints
  • Marker (red and black)

Progress:

  1. We take 2 large shells and glue them together, leaving the wide part slightly open. This will be the frog's mouth.
  2. We glue 2 cm shells together tightly so that we get the body of a frog.
  3. We make legs from 3 cm shells, gluing them together with a tapering part. The legs should be slightly apart.
  4. Glue the torso with the mouth, and then glue the torso with the legs. The connection should be at the junction of the glued legs.
  5. We make legs from two small shells, gluing them on the sides in the space between the mouth and legs.
  6. The eyes can be made by drawing with a marker on small shells, but we will take ready-made eyes and glue them to the inside. Then we attach them vertically to the mouth. This way they will turn out more natural.
  7. Draw the nose and lips with a marker. And our beauty is ready!

Marine style candle made from shell

For those who like to have dinner by candlelight, you can make a candle from a shell. This way you can make a nautical themed dinner. It will look very beautiful and romantic. To learn how to make such a craft with your own hands, you can watch the step-by-step instructions.

We have collected for you the most interesting and original ones, which are very easy to make with your children with your own hands. The result will exceed all expectations, and the sea memories of a wonderful vacation will last even longer.

You just returned from summer. Surely, in addition to pleasant impressions and bronze, you, or rather your child, brought with you various shells and other sea “treasures” that they so painstakingly collected every day. In order not to secretly throw away these things that are important for all kids, we suggest using them for children's crafts made from seashells and.

DIY shell crafts for children

This use of favorite sea “treasures” will definitely appeal to children, because shells or other materials capture children’s attention for a long time. And you won’t worry that the children’s room will be chaotically strewn with shells. In addition, there is still a whole month and a half of summer ahead and the child will still need to be occupied with something. So why not get creative with a marine theme!

Children's mobile made of shells

As you know, a mobile is not only a toy for babies. These also fascinate older children. , from sticks, a mobile made from paper, felt, and even from shells - there are a lot of options. The shells can be pre-painted or left their natural color. And what kind of music they will create in the wind - you will hear it!



DIY shell fossils

Is your child interested in science? Then he will definitely like this craft made from shells. Similar fossils with impressions of shells or . And once the fossils harden, they can be used to identify shells and even be used in science lessons.

Shell beads

Every little fashionista dreams of having a rich arsenal of different jewelry. Shells brought from the sea will be an excellent material for...

DIY shell letters

The huge first letter of a child's name is excellent or door. And if you decorate it with various shells, it will actually be a work of art. Let the child glue the shells onto the letters the way he wants, because it is his letter.

Decorative shells and shell magnets

We have already told and shown. Using the same principle, you can decorate seashells. You will receive additional decor for your apartment, and your child will receive another platform for creativity.



Jar of Summer Memories

An ordinary glass jar can be turned into a wonderful decoration for a room, which will contain the best memories of summer: photographs, sand and shells from the beach, pine cones, figurines and souvenirs.

Now you have 15 great craft ideas that you can make with your child using seashells yourself, thereby preserving summer memories for a long time. And this is also a great way. Creative inspiration to you!



Sea, vacation, beach... Three simple words filled with positive emotions and a fresh breeze. I want to leave every summer in my memory for a whole year, or even more. I don’t know about you, but I’m bringing back from vacation half a suitcase of shells and colorful sand polished by the salty waves. What to do with all this goodness, the answer is simple - .

Shell trees will decorate a coffee table and preserve memories for more than one, or even two years - it’s not in vain that you wandered along the beach all day looking for interesting specimens of sea shells.

For shell topiary we will need:

  • cone made of cardboard or plastic;
  • 5-10 cups of shells;
  • glue gun

Apply glue to the cone and glue the largest shells first, then the medium ones, and only then fill the space with the smallest shells. A little advice - if you are not happy with the small gaps between the shells, you can sprinkle them with white sand - it will also stick to the cone. Such DIY shell crafts You can safely pack it and give it to friends and family.

To make a ball of shells, prepare:

  • ball blank;
  • assorted shells of different sizes;
  • glue for ceramic tiles (or PVA glue);
  • sand;
  • spatula, sponge and soft cloth.

  1. Mix a small amount of sand with tile adhesive in a disposable container. And spread the spatula onto the ball, rub the glue with a soft cloth to level the glue evenly over the entire surface of the ball.
  2. Then start gluing the shells - remember to use large shells first, then smaller shells.
  3. Wait a few minutes and smooth the surface with a slightly damp sponge.

Candlesticks made of shells

These two marvelous candlesticks seem to be created for romantic summer evenings. I warn you right away - making them is a task of increased complexity, but, nevertheless, the game is worth the candle.

For candlesticks, stock up on:

  1. two old candlesticks
  2. shells of different sizes and shapes
  3. corals
  4. glue "Moment"

First, glue large shells to the candlesticks, and then corals and shells of small diameters. The more diverse your assortment of former clam houses, the more unusual and beautiful the candlesticks will be.

Sea shell bowl

What do you need:

  • a plate or bowl preferably made of wood
  • putty
  • many sea shells
  • hammer
  • sponge
  • white acrylic paint
  • bowl and some water

First, lay out the shells on a plate to get an approximate idea of ​​what the mosaic will look like. If your shells are too large, use a hammer to break a couple to fill the gaps between the shells on the platter.

Apply putty to the dish over the shells. Wipe the surface of the shells with a sponge soaked in water. Then wait a few minutes and cover the putty on the dish with acrylic paint.

Now leave the dish for the whole day, and then you can safely wrap it in a box and give it to your loved ones, or simply decorate a wall or coffee table with it.

DIY shell crafts “Sea Network”

This amazing network is suitable for a country house or for a child's room in a nautical style.

Prepare for her:

  1. two wooden sticks
  2. thick threads
  3. shells with holes
  4. small drill

First, let's weave our network. Using a drill, make several holes in the wooden sticks and pull the threads through them, securing them with knots. You should now have eight threads stretched in parallel. Then we will start weaving the transverse threads. There are exactly seven of them and they are secured very simply - with knots. When the net is ready, tie shells to it and feel free to decorate the room.

Seashells and other memories in a jar

I saw hundreds of "sands and shells in a bottle" type souvenirs in all the small shops along the beach. They are all neat and uniform, and probably contain shells from China. So I decided to make my own, sand and shells in a souvenir beach bottle. It turned out pretty cute! Try it too.

Pour some sand from your trip into a jar, print out your vacation photo on a printer, only on plain paper, not glossy. Glue it to the inside of the jar, put shells washed in fresh water into it and sign it.

Vase from the ocean

This vase is very easy to make. Fill a large wide-necked vase 1/3 full with dry sand. Then top with clean shells, starfish, and scallops. Use treasures you collected on a trip to the shore, or simply bought at the store. Place the vase in the center of the table or on a shelf and let it bring joy to you every day.

Among the DIY shell crafts, candlesticks stand out. But I won’t go into complexity, I’ll just show you the lightest and most sophisticated candlestick, especially since it was already complicated at the very beginning.

Necessary materials:

  • Sand
  • Vase or glass
  • Candle
  • Shells

Place the candle inside the vase. Fill about a third of the vase with sand around the candle. Place the shells around the candle post. You may need tweezers for this.

It will be great if the candle is scented - it will make your evening even more romantic.