The weather here in Northern Ireland is notoriously unpredictable, and usually cloudy and damp. This past week we’ve been very fortunate to have had a lot of sun and hot weather (hot for here, not hot compared to the Canadian Prairies).
Seashell necklace
We’ve been trying to make the most of it and soak up the vitamin D as much as we can.
It’s been extra special because my husband, Phil has been on holidays from work as well. We’ve been doing some fixing-up around the house and yard, but we’ve also managed to drive up to the beach this week for a barbecue lunch. Truth be told-I was the one who drove up. I’ve just begun driving again after a 12 year hiatus, and even after being here for 10 years, it’s strange being on the wrong side of the road…but that perhaps will be a story for another day.
I’m not much of a beach bum for several reasons, but I enjoyed the day with my family around me. I even took the children down near the water for a little wander. While we were there we picked up a few shells to bring home with us. We have a rose bowl that we have been filling with shells from our beach barbecues over the past few years, but this time we decided we would do something a little more artistic with them. We became more inspired after also visiting The Gallery Whitehead over the weekend and seeing some shells Cynthia Waddell had painted.
Some shells are pretty and shiny and get all the limelight, but we have chosen to turn a broken, not-so-pretty shell into a beautiful sea shell necklace. It was surprisingly easy to do, even for my young children, and it will make a lovely keepsake of our trip to the beach with Daddy.
Kallista and I took out some acrylic paint and a brush and began painting the shells. I painted the broken one, and Kallista painted another one that we are attempting to turn into a barbie doll hat. We are having a little trouble with this at the moment, but we will let you know more about it once we make the appropriate adjustments.
We let our painted shells dry out in the sun before adding a layer of varnish over the paint for durability. Once that had dried Kallista chose some decorations for her hat and Tristan chose some gems for my sea shell necklace. Here you can see my design on the concave side of the shell and Tristan’s design on the convex side of the shell.
I looped some waxed cord through the shell and tied a knot in the ends to hold it all in place. That was it! Now I have a beautiful sea shell necklace full of family memories…if I can ever get it around my neck…it does look lovely on Kallista as well!
This little craft was also part of Red Ted Art’s Google+ hangout this week. You can see a YouTube recording of it here. There were many other fantastic contributors with terrific crafts all made from shells.
- Red Ted Art showed us how her children have used shells as little beds for Lego figures. She also shared how to make crab and turtle fridge magnets.
- Kids Chaos shared how the grandparents and grandchildren came together to make artistic scenes with watercolours and shells.
- The Imagination Tree made shell imprints into salt dough which give youngsters lots of opportunities for learning.
- Zing Zing Tree shared several ideas: fairy cups, lollipop people, a barnacle bracelet, a hair clip, and some hanging decorations.
- Domestic Goddesque showed the results of using shells for printing on paper that makes personal gift wrap, and then turned those shells into a picture frame. Great to see things re-purposed!
If upcycled jewellery interests you, try these: A Garden Stone Pendant, a Puzzle Piece Brooch, and a Paper Bead Bookmark. And check out our summer fun and diy jewellery pages, as well as our nature activities for kids page for more ways to get kids excited about all things nature..
Nicole Copeland says
How cute! and such a great ideal! We have so many sea shells laying around I need to look for a cute ideal to display them
Crystal McClean says
Thank you 🙂 Sea shells can be tricky when it comes to making them ‘useful’, I agree.
Tess says
We have to get some sea shells from the dollare store,but looks like a great project!
Crystal McClean says
Isn’t the $ store a great place?! We have £ shops here, but they just aren’t the same. Happy shopping and crafting!
Katy @ Experienced Bad Mom says
Lovely! Makes me want to try it myself.
Crystal McClean says
It’s quick and fun when you need a little distraction, enjoy!
Michelle says
What a cute idea! We’re at the beach this week with our cousins, so we’ll definitely have to try this! It would be a fun rainy afternoon activity!
Crystal McClean says
Have fun at the beach this week, and let me know how it goes-I’d love to see a picture of your designs!
Growing Up Madison says
It turned out beautifully and I would so love to hear the reasons why you’re not a beach bum person. 🙂
Crystal McClean says
Thank you very much 🙂 Why am I not a beach bum? I suppose they were short in supply where I grew up, but it’s so much hassle getting everything ready to go and put back again when we get home, I find sand everywhere for days afterwards, the sand flies are a pest, dog owners who don’t clean up after their dogs, etc. But i am trying to relax and enjoy it more; it’s definitely easier without diapers and children who are old enough to walk on their own and even carry some of the equipment 🙂
Stephanie says
This is so cool! I have tons of seashells from Florida, I just may have to do this!
Crystal McClean says
Please do give it a try – or any of the crafts linked here 🙂 Have fun with them!
Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories says
What beautiful shells and a great idea for all those broken ones that need some extra TLC. I live in NC of the USA and we love going to the white sandy beaches on our coast off the Atlantic Ocean. Great post and beautiful family!
Crystal McClean says
Thank you very much, Tanya 🙂 A school friend of mine has moved to NC as well and I’ve seen her photos of the beaches-they look beautiful-enjoy your summer there!
Colleen @ MommieDaze says
Cute necklace and I can’t imagine trying to learn to drive on the other side of the road. I’d be so confused!
Crystal McClean says
Thank you, Colleen. It’s quite funny-although I’ve been here so long, my brain still returns to ‘right side of the road’ when I’m behind the wheel! Slowly but surely? We’ll see!
Meg says
Fantastic idea! We live near the (New) Jersey (USA) shore, so we have lots of shells!
Crystal McClean says
I’ve heard good things about the Jersey shore, you could make all sorts of accessories, have fun!
Jill@MomsGoneGlobal says
We have so many shells lying around the house from various beach trips. I cannot wait to do this craft with my boys. These necklaces will make perfect grandmother gifts!! Thank you for sharing!
Crystal McClean says
Yes, they’d be great for grandmothers and aunts as well- my children are already wanting to make more!
Cynthia Waddell (The Gallery Whitehead) says
Crystal I enjoyed your visit to my gallery last week and I am so happy that it inspired you and the children to make your own shell pendants. They look great.
Crystal McClean says
Thank you very much! Tristan said he enjoyed all of your work, but he did like the mirror the best 🙂
I’m sure we’ll see you again later in the year for more inspiration!
Momma Jo says
I love it, simple and beautiful!
Crystal McClean says
Thank you very much! Have a great week and stop by again for a chat 🙂
Kali says
These turned out really cute! The only beaches we have around here are of lakes, but hopefully we can find some sort of shell or rock to try this project out. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Crystal McClean says
I understand, I was 24hrs from the sea for most of my life. And even here the shells vary with the beach I found out this week! A rock would look lovely painted and turned into a necklace, a combination of this post as well as our stone pendant. Have fun with it!
Natalie says
What a super cute project! I love how it turned out. Enjoy your warm weather while it last. Visiting from Crafty Moms Share.
Crystal McClean says
Thank you so much! I think these could be great gifts for the grandparents and Aunts. We’ll definitely enjoy the weather until it breaks, thank you 🙂
Carrie says
What a fun and pretty project! Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!!
Crystal McClean says
Thank you for hosting, and thanks for your comment. I’m itching to make another in a different colour 🙂
Sugar Aunts says
What a great way to make your own keepsake from the beach, thanks for sharing at Share it Saturday!
Crystal McClean says
Thank you Sugar Aunts, and thank you for the Twitter follow this week 🙂 I’ve been to a different beach this week and made sure I picked up a few shells along the way for a rainy day!