Hey seashell lover! Spread ocean love + sustainability by shopping our eco-boutique.
Sustainably made with recycled materials + always plastic-free packaging, they’re the perfect gifts for beach lovers:
We’ve definitely got a thing for seashell art, and love how it warms up the home and brings back those sunny beach vibes & memories. Many of us have a love for the beach, coast, nautical, ocean, sea, ALL of the above – and this craft definitely keeps that in full focus.
So, today we’ve got a new DIY craft for you that’ll turn your seashell stash into a treasure and warm up your home.
Pin it:
Why it’s good for you:
Not only will it bring good vibes into your house, there’s something about being creative that helps get the mind happy too.
(And if the voices that say, “I’m not creative,” are chiming in right now, tell them to shush because that’s absolutely not true!)
When you get your creative juices flowing, all sorts of good brain waves start signaling that translate into:
- more present state of mind
- better cognition
- feeling more relaxed & renewed
- overall sense of wellbeing
Doing something creative like this lets you get in the flow and refreshes the mind (what mindfulness gurus refer to as “being in the zone”).
Plus, the sense of accomplishment after you’ve made something beautiful is pretty great too!
Not to mention, using seashells you find to make the craft brings back blissful memories! We love looking for seashells as a leisurely activity when we go to the beach, and the different types and sizes are simply astounding. We take a few that call to our hearts most and of course, we only take shells that are empty to make sure no animals are harmed.
And, with the sentiment “Love anchors the soul,” it’s heartfelt and also makes a beautiful handmade gift for a wedding, housewarming, or just because.
Cool seashell science:
- Seashells are made by snails who produce the shell as their permanent home (no swapping shells!).
- The animals start out teeny-tiny (smaller than a grain of rice), and the shell grows with their bodies.
- Hermit crabs scrounge up empty shells that they find in order to protect their soft bottom half.
- Critters like barnacles and sea anemones can sometimes be found growing in clusters on shells.
Make it eco-friendly:
To help protect our ocean world, it’s much better to only use empty shells you find…shell shops often source their shells from operations that have destructive methods for harvesting shells, and animals are often alive when harvested. (If you’re interested in this, you can read more here.)
Plus, we think it’s a lot more special and unique to use ones you find – kind of like memories captured in a form of art!
What you’ll need:
- shadow box or canvas (with about an 11″ x 14″ surface)
- thin craft rope (we used 0.1″ or 3 mm cream rope) or twine
- scissors
- hot glue gun/sticks
- pencil
- seashells
- 2 sewing pins (our shadow box came with them)
- printable anchor stencil (print on paper)
- printable “Love anchors the soul” quote card (print on card stock…we used one with a pearl sheen)
How-to video:
To give you a guide and make your creativity even more relaxed, we’ve created a video that allows you to see Eve make it in just a few short minutes.
Don’t let that few minutes fool you, though — creativity is at its best when you’re not rushed and can take your sweet time. (In reality, Eve hemmed and hawed over each seashell, but you can’t tell with time-lapse!)
Steps:
- Cut out the anchor stencil.
- Place the anchor stencil in the center of the design surface and trace with a pencil.
- Starting at the bottom/middle of the anchor, use the hot glue gun to attach the rope section by section. Be careful not to burn your fingers!
- Place seashells inside the anchor, positioning them where they fit best.
- Once all of the shells are where you want them, use hot glue to attach the seashells.
- Poke a pin on each side of the “Love anchors the soul” card, and position the card over the middle of the anchor, securing the pins into the design surface.
We hope you enjoy making this craft!
Know someone who might love this? Share the good vibes that just might make their day! 💙
Live porpoisefully,
Eve & Rett (Everett) Taylor
Disclaimer: All activities on this blog are intended to be performed with adult supervision. Appropriate and reasonable caution should be used when activities call for the use of materials that could potentially be harmful, such as scissors, or items that could present a choking risk (small items), or a drowning risk (water activities), and with introducing a new food/ingredient to a child (allergies). Observe caution and safety at all times. The author and blog disclaim liability for any damage, mishap, or injury that may occur from engaging in any of these activities on this blog.