Anyone who has been to the beach has spent time looking at the shells and other treasures washed ashore, and most of us have picked up a few pretty ones intending to do something creative with them later.
Just like so many other things, that intention often stays in a jar on a shelf. Here is what to actually do with them.
Preparing shells first
Do not skip this. Shells collected from a beach carry salt, sand and organic residue, and untreated they will smell.
Soak them in water for several hours, scrub gently with an old toothbrush, then soak in a weak bleach solution for an hour or so to remove any remaining organic matter. Rinse thoroughly and dry completely.
A little mineral oil rubbed on afterwards brings back the colour that drying takes away. It is the difference between shells that look like beach finds and shells that look dull and chalky.
Drilling them
For jewellery, you need holes, and this is where most shells break.
Use a fine drill bit, go slowly, and keep the shell wet. Heat and speed are what crack them. Supporting the shell on a soft surface rather than a hard one helps considerably.
Expect to break some. Collect more than you need.
Jewellery
Pendants. A single good shell on a cord or chain. The simplest and often the best – one striking shell beats several ordinary ones.
Wire wrapping. Avoids drilling entirely. Wire wrapped around a shell holds it securely and adds a frame.
Earrings, using small matched pairs. Finding two shells that match is the hard part, so sort as you collect.
Beaded strands mixing shells with beads, which lets a few good shells go further.
Around the house
Mirrors and frames, with shells glued around the edge. Effective and forgiving, since irregularity looks natural.
Candle holders, with shells set around a glass container.
A filled jar or bowl. The simplest display and often the most attractive – shells look good in quantity with nothing done to them at all.
Wind chimes, using drilled shells on cord. The sound is soft and distinctive.
Combining with yarn
Shells work well with crochet. A crocheted net around a large shell makes a hanging decoration, and small drilled shells sewn onto a crocheted bag or a summer top pick up a beach theme without being heavy-handed.
And take only a little
Many beaches restrict shell collecting, and shells are habitat for other creatures. Take a few empty ones, leave the rest, and check local rules before filling a bag.
