It’s so nice when a house is decorated with paintings, panels or other handmade crafts. These things have their own special energy, a unique attraction. You can feel the author's style in the house. True, in the store things made in the hand made style are quite expensive. But you can make a beautiful fake yourself. It will take a little time and imagination.
DIY shell panel for beginners
Surely everyone has shells brought from the sea. They evoke pleasant memories of relaxation, sun and sound of the sea. Seashells themselves are a beautiful work of nature. Making a panel of shells with your own hands is quite simple. You need to use your imagination.
Materials for creating panels can mostly be found at home:
- Glue;
- Framework;
- Board;
- Beads;
- Pebbles;
- Cereals;
- Beads, etc.
If you don’t have any, you can buy everything for handicrafts in the store.
Making shell panels can be a great hobby. This is a fun activity for adults and children. When working on crafts, a child incredibly develops fine motor skills, fantasy, imagination, perseverance and attentiveness.
You should remember about safety, since shells are quite fragile material, and they can hurt you.
How to make a panel from shells with your own hands: master class
Creating panels develops incredible creative abilities in everyone. Such a panel can be hung at home; for example, a marine-style panel looks great in the bathroom. And panels with flowers or trees, as well as in the form of toys, are perfect for the design of a children's room. In addition, a hand-made panel of shells is a good gift.
To create a panel of shells you will need:
- Seashells of different sizes and shapes;
- Board or plywood;
- Glue;
- Acrylic paints;
- Wooden frame, suitable for photos;
- You can also use various beads, feathers, pearls, rhinestones, pebbles, buttons, cereals, seeds.
If you don’t have any of the above on hand, you can use nail polish to give the shells a tint. Pearlescent varnishes look especially impressive.
You need to take a wooden frame, you can use a photo frame. It can also be coated with acrylic paint.
The board or plywood must be level, to achieve this you should walk over the surface with sandpaper. The board should be adjusted to the size of the frame.
How to make an unusual panel
You can make the panel abstract, that is, simply stick on shells of various shapes in a chaotic order, or you can arrange the shells into a pattern.
For example:
- Flowers;
- Tree;
- Ship;
- Doll;
- Car;
- Seascape, etc.
The next stage is a sketch of the panel, made in any way. You can not only draw a picture by hand with a pencil or paints, but also find a photo you like on the Internet or scan a beautiful picture, photo or even a postcard. Using Adobe Photoshop, you need to outline the image.
We treat the assembled panel with acrylic varnish. This will allow the panel to look more finished; in addition, the varnished parts shimmer beautifully in the sun.
Shell panel with sand background
A panel of shells on sand is a panel that has sand as its background. Instead of sand, you can use any grain.
The first stages of frame and board are carried out in the usual way. Then we apply PVA glue to the board. The next stage is applying sand or grain in an even layer, pressing it as tightly as possible to the board so that it sticks well. Then you should wait a couple of hours until it dries completely.
They can decorate the interior of almost any room. You can make them not only for yourself, but also as a gift to loved ones. Such things have a special energy and warmth, because the author puts a piece of his soul into the creation of the product.
Shells - material for creativity
Shells collected on the seashore are a wonderful ornamental material. Making panels from shells with your own hands is an exciting hobby, and for some, even a source of income. To create such a product, no special skills are required. The main thing is a sufficient amount of material, imagination and patience.
It is worth remembering that shells are a highly fragile material. It requires special careful handling. In the process of work, especially in the absence of proper experience, some of the shells will inevitably deteriorate and crack. Don't be upset: this is normal.
Seashells, especially if they were collected independently on the seashore, will awaken pleasant memories in you. A carefree holiday, a warm sea, a comfortable beach - a picture made of shells will be associated with all this.
A useful activity for adults and children
Making panels from shells is possible not only for adults, but also for children. Moreover, such an activity will bring a lot of benefits to the child. Creating paintings from natural materials develops creativity, perseverance, imagination, as well as fine motor skills and imagination.
Young children can be encouraged to attach the shells to the base using plasticine rather than glue. It is easier to deal with, and there is an opportunity to change the picture if there is something you don’t like about it.
Before you start working with your child, you need to show him what a panel of shells will look like in a photo, picture or sketch. Let him approve the idea chosen by the adult. In this case, the child will have increased interest in the activity and motivation to complete what he started.
Children need to be taught how to handle materials carefully. Not only can shells crack if squeezed too hard. They can also injure the child with the sharp side.
Deciding on an idea
Using your imagination, you can create a panel of shells with your own hands on almost any theme. After all, with their help you can fill the outline of any image. The main thing is to think about how to play with it, how to complement it, so that you get a complete piece. However, this is just one idea. Sometimes a composition of shells is simply created on the base, in which there is no specific contour, and this makes it look no worse. Hearts, flowers, landscapes, the seabed, fish, aquariums, seahorses, still lifes - a panel of shells can display any theme.
Preparatory work
Before you start creating a panel of seashells, you need to do some preparatory work. If you collected the shells yourself, they need to be washed to remove sand and dried, but if they were purchased as a set, then they are ready for use in creative works. The next stage is sorting by variety and size. It is advisable to use shells of different shapes to make the picture more interesting.
For the panel you will also need a base made of plywood or thick cardboard, glue, and a frame. You can use acrylic paints and stain to paint shells in the desired color, or you can do without them. It is very convenient to use a glue gun to glue parts, especially if you are creating a panel of shells for the first time. With its help, the work will be more accurate. Should I coat the finished painting with acrylic varnish? This is a matter of taste and personal preference. There is an opinion that a product coated with varnish looks more finished.
DIY shell panel: stages of creation
- The first thing is to decide on the theme and plot.
- Next you need to apply a sketch to the base. This can be a freehand drawing, drawing the outline of a scanned image, or simply marking with a pencil.
- If you plan to paint shells, you must first do it, let the material dry well, and only then glue it to the base.
- The objects from which the picture will be composed must be placed on the base and the contours filled with them. This part of the work is similar to putting together a jigsaw puzzle. You may have to spend a lot of time to achieve the perfect picture.
- The next stage is gluing the shells and other components to the base. For this, PVA glue or plasticine is used.
- When the shell panel is almost ready, you need to frame it and, if desired, varnish it.
Those who have not previously had experience creating paintings from shells should not choose some idea that is difficult in terms of execution for their first work. What's difficult doesn't always look more beautiful. The main thing is to create a panel with your soul, and then it will delight you or your loved ones with its beauty and uniqueness.
Making something with your own hands is quite pleasant, but doing it with your child is doubly pleasant. This can be done not only from those materials that you purchased at a handicraft store or at the market. In this case, objects that Mother Nature gave us are also suitable.
Real masters use literally everything that their keen eye has noticed in pursuit of a new masterpiece of art: leaves, pine cones, straw, sand.
Today we will talk about how to make a variety of crafts from shells with your own hands.
These seafood are very beautiful and attractive in themselves, but if they become the basis of some homemade item, then its success is guaranteed.
You can make a lot of trinkets from such materials: bracelets, necklaces, earrings, souvenirs, vases, photo frames, dolls and entire paintings.
The list is quite large, so we focused on only some of its aspects. If you're wondering how we'll make all these seashell crafts, stay tuned!
How to make such a craft?
This process does not involve anything complicated, you just need to take shells of the desired size (these can be river brine, small sea shells, one large and beautiful shell) and decorative elements: beads, wire, threads, glue, paints, etc.
Below we will provide instructions for beginners on how to make crafts from shells.
Panel with marine motifs
After reading our article on crafts from shells and stones, you will learn how to make a modular panel from 3 parts. It attracts attention with warm notes and natural beauty.
In order to make such beauty, you just need to collect the necessary tools: sand, eggs, several plywood sheets measuring 15 by 15 centimeters, glue, varnish, shells.
Now you just need to follow a certain algorithm of actions:
- We sandwich the plywood with an adhesive substance.
- Sprinkle fine sand on top so that it remains on the picture. To do this, you need to press it tightly on top with something hard. After a few hours you can continue working.
- Check to see if the glue on your base is dry so you can continue with your work. Now the base needs to be varnished.
- When the first layer of varnish has dried, glue the corners of the future panel with eggshells and apply a second layer of varnish.
- We attach shells of different sizes on top in an indefinite sequence.
- To connect three plywood sheets together to create our sea triptych, we fasten them together with wire.
Seashell flower
One of the options on how to involve a child and create a masterpiece of handicraft with him is a handmade flower.
To create it you will need very little time and materials: shells, a frame, wire, beads and beads, velvet fabric in rich red, blue or black, glue and clothespins.
Now you need to follow these instructions:
- In order to make a flower, in our case it is an orchid, we connect three small shells together using transparent glue. If you want your flowers to look as natural as possible, use shells of different sizes for different flowers.
- Varnish the finished flowers, and decorate the center of each orchid with beads or large beads.
- Glue velvet fabric to the frame that is the basis of your work.
- Attach the wire to this fabric, making a kind of stem or leaves out of it. You can create different fancy patterns.
- Along this wire, attach the orchid buds themselves in a scattered manner.
- Wait for everything to dry, cover the frame with glass and place it on the wall.
Applications for children
To please your child and teach him to work, make a collage or applique with him using shells.
Such a master class will be very useful for him, as it will teach the baby perseverance and patience.
To work, you need a very small list of tools: shells, glue and cardboard.
Note!
To make the applique more interesting, use beads and beads, or simply take shells of different shades.
You can see photos of crafts made from shells below. We hope that among them you will find something interesting for yourself.
Photos of crafts made from shells
Note!
It is best to preserve shells as a reminder of carefree days at the beach in the form of interior items, decorations and souvenirs. After all, they are such a beautiful, completely free, natural and durable material. In this material you will find 50 inspiring photos, 8 ideas and the same number of step-by-step master classes on making crafts from shells with your own hands for beginners.
Basic instructions for preparing shells
Cleansing
Before you start making crafts from shells, you need to prepare them well.
- If the shells are “dead” and there are no shellfish remains left in them, then you just need to soak them in a solution of water and any chlorine-containing product (for example, bleach, “Duckling”, etc.) in a 1:1 ratio for 30 minutes. If the shells are very dirty or you want to remove the dark outer layer ( periostracum), then soak them longer. After soaking, brush the shells and rinse in clean water.
- If the shells are “live”, that is, they have the remains of mollusks (even if they died long ago) and have an unpleasant odor, then they need to be thoroughly cleaned. To do this, put the shells in boiling water for 5 minutes, and then remove the remains of the shellfish using tongs, nail scissors, etc. There is a second way: heat the shells in the microwave for 30 seconds, then try to remove the remains with tongs. If unsuccessful, continue heating the shells in the microwave, checking the result every 10 seconds. When all remains have been removed, treat the sinks with a bleach solution according to the first instructions.
After processing, inspect the sinks for chips and, if any, sand them with a sanding block, disc or sandpaper. If desired, you can add shine to them using clear nail polish or furniture polish, as well as using oil or rich cream. True, in this case, before treating the shells with glue, the gluing areas will have to be additionally degreased with alcohol.
Drilling holes
To make some types of crafts from shells (for example, wind chimes, beads, bracelets and other jewelry), you need to drill a hole in them. This task is quite simple, the only difficulty is that the shells can crack or delaminate at the drilling site.
- Therefore, remember the main rule: the thinner the shell, the smaller the hole should be in it and, accordingly, the thread/accessories of the decoration.
There are two ways to make holes in shells - manual and automated.
Method 1. Select a drill bit for a drill, screwdriver or straight grinder with a diameter of 0.8 - 2 mm. Place the shell on a wooden or plastic board and secure it with masking tape. Drill a hole directly through the tape - it will prevent the shell from splitting or delaminating.
Method 2. If you do not have a screwdriver or drill, then you can make a hole in the sink using a nail and a hammer. To do this, first cover the shell with masking tape, put a mark on the inside of the shell, then place a nail and gently tap it with a hammer several times to make the initial hole. Next, widen the hole by moving the same nail back and forth inside it until you reach the desired diameter.
If you don’t have a nail or a hammer at hand, then use an ordinary needle, nail scissors or a knife and “drill” the hole by hand. The result will appear in about 10 minutes.
Idea 1. Inlay frames, frames and frames
You can decorate the frame of a mirror, painting or photo frame with shells. We present examples of such crafts in the following collection (scroll the photo to the right).
Today we suggest you decorate a mirror frame with shells, but using the same principle you can decorate any photo frame or painting frame.
Materials:
- Shells of small, medium and large sizes and, if desired, additional decorations (eg starfish, pearls, figurines of skates, etc.).
- Glue gun and several sticks of glue or clear epoxy glue.
- Newspaper or any unnecessary paper to protect the mirror from glue.
- Masking or regular tape.
Instructions:
Step 1: Protect the mirror with paper and secure it with masking tape. At this stage, the frame can be painted if you are not satisfied with its original appearance.
Step 2. Sort the shells by size to make it easier to create your future composition.
Step 3: First glue the first row of small to medium shells (about the same size) around the mirror.
Step 4: Now start gluing on the largest shells. Beforehand, you can play with the layout options and choose the best one. If you are using epoxy glue, once all the parts are glued, leave the frame to dry overnight.
Idea 2. Making a Valentine panel
From a collection of shells of different shapes and sizes, you can make a panel in the form of a valentine. However, you can cut out any other shape from cardboard/plywood, say, the same seahorse or a letter.
Materials:
- Glue gun or any strong adhesion glue;
- Collection of river and sea shells;
- Cardboard;
- Scissors;
- Leg-split.
Instructions:
Step 1. Cut out the base for the heart-shaped panel from cardboard.
Step 2. Using a knife or awl, make two holes for the twine.
Step 3. Start gluing the shells, trying to leave minimal gaps between them. Leave the loop holes open.
Step 4. Cut the twine to the desired length, thread the two ends of the rope into the holes on the back of the panel and tie with double knots.
In the next video you can see a visual master class on making crafts from shells with your own hands in the form of a Valentine panel.
Below are more ideas for creating a shell panel.
Idea 3. “Painting” a picture on canvas
Here is another idea for creating a wall craft from seashells.
Materials:
- Canvas on stretcher;
- Shells;
- Glue gun or other strong adhesion glue, for example, “Moment”;
- A template or stencil of the desired design, printed on paper;
- Acrylic paint to create a background (optional);
- Brush (optional).
Instructions:
- If you want to repeat the idea of the painting in this master class, then first create a background for the composition from shells. To do this, use a brush and acrylic paint of the desired color. Wait for the background to dry and proceed to the next step.
- Secure the template or stencil to the canvas using masking tape, and then trace its outline with a pencil.
- Start gluing the shells onto the drawing without going beyond its boundaries.
Idea 4. Cooking candles for mini-candlesticks
Shells are almost ready-made miniature candlesticks that are just waiting to be supplemented with paraffin and wick. You can use the resulting candles for a romantic picnic or simply for interior decoration.
Materials:
- Sea or large river shells;
- Small round candles in tin molds;
- Water and a saucepan for a water bath;
- PVA glue or double-sided tape.
Instructions:
Step 1. Remove the candle itself from the tin container, and then remove the wick from it by pulling the metal base at the bottom of the candle (see photo). Set the wicks aside and return the candles to the molds.
Step 2. Glue each wick with double-sided tape or PVA glue in the center of the shell.
Step 3. Now we need to melt the paraffin until it is completely liquid. You can do this in three ways:
- Bring the water in the pan to a boil, then reduce the heat until the water stops boiling and lower the ramekins into it.
- Place the candles on the stove over low heat, and make sure that the paraffin does not burn.
- Warm up the paraffin using a hairdryer.
Step 4. Once the paraffin has melted, remove the molds from the heat and begin filling the shells. It is best to use some kind of tongs or a pair of Chinese chopsticks for this. Don't forget to protect the table surface with newspaper first.
- If the shells are too unstable and you are afraid that the paraffin will harden unevenly, then it is better to arrange the candles in the cells of the egg packaging or fix, for example, with soft plasticine that does not leave marks.
After about 20 minutes, the paraffin will completely harden and you will be able to enjoy the light of the shell candles.
Idea 5. Making topiary in a marine style
Topiary is a small decoration in the form of a tree in a pot. You can learn the principles of making topiary from shells with your own hands or from the following video lesson.
And in this selection of photos you can get ideas for decorating a topiary made from shells with your own hands in a traditional round shape or in the form of a Christmas tree.
Idea 6. Making a flower candlestick
If you have enough bivalve shells, you can make them into flowers.
Today we propose to make such a craft from mussel shells.
Materials:
- Bivalve shells;
- Any round base of small diameter;
- Glue gun;
- PVA glue (optional);
- Glitter (optional).
Instructions:
Step 1. Prepare the shells - wash them with soap, remove any remaining organic matter and, if desired, bleach them using chlorine-containing products (see instructions at the beginning of the article).
Step 2: Paint the round base of the candle holder a neutral color such as white.
Step 3: While the base is drying, sort your sink set by size.
Step 4: Start gluing 1 row of shells to the sides of the base using hot glue.
Step 5. Once the first row is slightly dry, begin creating the second row, placing each new shell overlapping the previous one so that it is located between the two shells of the first row. As a result, you will have a checkerboard layout of shells in two rows as shown in the photo.
Step 6. Glue the third and all subsequent rows using the same principle, but not on the base, but on the joints of the shells of the previous row (the place is highlighted by the arrow in the photo below).
Step 7. Once you have glued the last row, look around the candle holder and add another row or two where you think it is needed.
Step 8. Hooray, the shell candle holder is ready! If you wish, you can additionally decorate it with sparkles. To do this you need to do the following:
- Treat the shells with PVA glue on the inside or just around the edges.
- Sprinkle glitter generously onto your craft, let the glue dry, and then shake off any excess.
Idea 7. Create wind chimes
Shells are an ideal material for making wind chimes, because the “chime” of such sea bells is very pleasant to the ear.
Materials:
- Twine, fishing line or any thread.
- A twig or wooden stick.
- Scissors.
- Hot glue gun or a tool for drilling small holes (drill with a 2 mm drill bit or just a needle and nail scissors).
- Seashells.
Instructions:
Step 1. If you want the shells to be tied to the threads, then first drill holes in them (see basic instructions at the beginning of the article). If you don’t have a tool, and you are satisfied with the adhesive method of fastening, then immediately proceed to the next stage.
Step 2. Tie twine to the branch as shown in the photo, measure approximately 7 cm in length from it and cut off the excess.
- If you use shells with holes, then the twine must be cut immediately to the desired length with a reserve for knots.
Step 3: Glue the shell to the twine using a drop of hot glue. Then glue another 7cm strand of twine to the other end of the shell. Continue working until you are satisfied with the length of the first row.
- Shells with holes can be tied to a thread in at least two ways: by tying knots around the holes or under them (the knot must be larger than the hole).
Step 4: Continue hanging the shell strings until you reach the desired number. In this case, you can play with the length of the rows to form, say, an arch or a ladder. In this case, the wind chime has alternating short and long threads.
Step 5. When the piece is ready, tie another piece of twine at both ends of the branch.
Following the principles of this master class, but by replacing the branch with a hoop or adding shells with starfish, beads, feathers and other decor, you can create more fancy wind chime designs.
Idea 8. Making a bracelet from a cowrie shell
If you have at least one cowrie shell, you can make a boho-style bracelet for your arm or leg with your own hands. You can buy all the accessories for such decoration in handicraft stores or large sewing stores.
Materials:
- One cowrie shell;
- 1 m of silk cord;
- Half a skein of floss in a contrasting color;
- Beads (in this master class we use copper beads from an old bracelet);
- A pair of crimp terminals with loops (designed for cords and making bracelets);
- Clasp for jewelry (in the form of a ring or carabiner);
- Ring for fastening (detachable);
- Scissors;
- Pliers.
Instructions:
Step 1. Drill a small hole at the two ends of the cowrie (see basic instructions at the beginning of the article).
Step 2. Cut approximately 15 cm from the skein of silk cord and set this piece aside for a while.
Step 3. Pass the silk cord about halfway through one hole of the shell and tie a knot.
Step 4: Pass the other end of the cord through the middle of the sink and tie a knot in the second hole.
Step 5. Cut several strands of floss, gather them and fold the resulting bundle around the silk cord next to the shell as shown in the photo.
Step 6: Take a short piece of lace, wrap it tightly around the top of the folded floss, tie a knot, and cut off the excess. You will get a brush. Fluff it up and trim it with scissors if necessary.
Step 7: Start stringing beads onto both ends of the bracelet. Once the desired length is reached, bend the ends of the cords in half and insert the resulting ends into the crimp ends.
Step 8: Use pliers to pinch the ends of the bracelet and then cut off the excess cord.
Step 9. Using pliers, attach a ring to one end and a clasp to the other. Your shell bracelet is ready!
