Seashells symbolize sea, sun and sand. In short, this is a kind of piece of summer vacation at sea, which you can always take home. Some people decorate such souvenirs with aquariums and other living places in their apartment. And many vacationers, taking with them shells, make them various crafts, which even inexperienced craftsmen get very original.
Seashell Preparation
Such a marine element as a shell is unusual and rather beautiful, which does not require any additional actions on the cultivation. Therefore, to make a souvenir, the shells need only be well cleaned and to repair the existing damage. To do this, follow these steps:
- To remove the dark layer, it is necessary to soak the shells in a chlorine-containing liquid (bleach) for thirty minutes, then remove them from this solution, rinse under running water and rub it with a brush. This purification is used for those shells that do not have the remains of living organisms inside.
- Instances that have any remains, accompanied by an unpleasant smell, first need to be subjected to heat treatment. For this, the shells are heated in the microwave for thirty seconds (the maximum power must be set). If this device is not, then they are recommended to boil in ordinary water for about five minutes. Next, using tweezers, their contents are removed.
- Chips or cracks are fixed with ordinary emery paper.
- To give a more spectacular look, such seafood is recommended to be coated with a colorless varnish.
Many crafts provide for the presence of holes that need to be done with extreme caution. This is due to the fact that the shell material is very fragile and with one wrong movement it can crack or delaminate. Therefore, in order to avoid such incidents, before drilling the mollusk's house, it is necessary to stick masking tape or paper tape on it, and drill through it.
You can make such holes with the help of various tools: a drill, a screwdriver, an awl or a needle. The main thing to consider is that the thinner the shell, the smaller should be the diameter of the hole.
Picture frame
From sea shells you can make an original and stylish frame for summer photos. This will require the following tools and materials:
- wood frame of the right size, if that was not at hand, then it can be cut independently from thick paper or plywood;
- the main material is seashells;
- auxiliary parts - sea pebbles and sand;
- various costume jewelry, which will give the souvenir more glamor;
- glue, in this case it is best to choose silicone, also for convenience, you can use a special glue gun;
- colorless varnish.
The manufacturing process is as follows:
- Before you begin, you need to plan the location of the patterns. For this, it is best to draw on the basis of a future pencil the future arrangement of all the details.
- After all the elements of the decor are planned, you need to stick them.
- Between the pasted shells will remain gaps through which the base will peep. Therefore, it is recommended to fill them with sand or small pebbles, having previously lubricated the base with glue.
- Many experienced craftsmen advise initially to make a peculiar background before sticking shells. To this end, the base is pre-covered with shell chips or sand.
- When all marine elements are glued, you can add other decorative items to the frame. These can be various beads (pearls), small boats or anchors.
- After completion of the work, all elements must be coated with clear varnish.
The music of wind
For the manufacture of such a souvenir will need:
- clean seashells;
- small beads;
- wooden skewers for the warp;
- fishing line;
- glue.
Execution process:
- Each shell should be varnished. This will give it greater brightness, as well as prolong its operational properties.
- After the varnish is dry, make a hole of the minimum diameter in each sink (as far as possible).
- Cut five (possible and more) different-sized pieces of fishing line.
- On each piece of fishing line alternately strung seashells and beads. When stringing each element must be fastened with quick-drying glue. In this case, it is very important to maintain the distance between the elements, which must be at least three centimeters.
- Next you need to make a holder for a souvenir (base). To do this, three wooden skewers should be tied together with a transparent fishing line and varnished for greater effect.
- Fishing lines with strung shells and beads tied to a wooden holder, which can then be hung above the door.
Christmas candlestick
To make such a craft, you must prepare the following materials:
- marine decor;
- tea light;
- computer disk;
- dense oilcloth;
- glue;
- scissors;
- sand.
The manufacture of this souvenir is as follows:
- To the computer disk (base) to glue the cloth. Due to the fact that the disks are slippery, with the help of oilcloth it will be possible to reduce this slip.
- On the side reflecting the light to glue the candle.
- On the remaining free space on the disk, glue the sea shells in a chaotic manner.
- Formed between the shells places filled with sand or semolina. Since this candlestick will be New Year's, it is best to use semolina, which will imitate the snow.
- It is also possible to glue several spruce cones of small size to the shells.
- The resulting crafts to cover the transparent varnish.
This souvenir will be a wonderful decoration of the New Year's family table.
Pictures from the sea decor
Paintings, or, as they are called, panels made of shells, made with your own hands, can be a great gift for a loved one.
Depending on the plot, the smallest and largest shells can be used. In addition, for more decoration, you can use other elements of the marine decoration, such as sand and stones.
As for the base, it can be made of glass, burlap or thick cardboard. The forms of the paintings can also be different: from regular geometric shapes to figures of sea animals.
To make a panel of sea stones and shells, you need to prepare the following materials:
- the base that is best made from plywood;
- medium-sized sea pebbles;
- seashells;
- glue;
- colorless varnish.
The process of making such a souvenir is as follows:
- A sketch of the future picture is drawn on the basis.
- According to the sketch, previously prepared and cleaned marine elements are glued onto plywood. In this case, these are sea stones and shells.
- Then the panel is covered with varnish, and the time is waiting for the glue and varnish to dry.
- If the picture is intended for a loved one, then on the back of it you can write some message, and if for yourself, then you can write your dearest wish.
