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You are here: Home / Activities / Shell Wreaths Tutorial

By Kristen 9 Comments

Shell Wreaths Tutorial

Shell Wreath Tutorial

Have you ever collected so many shells that you didn’t know what to do with them? I love collecting them and have loved using them in wreathes and ornaments.   Now that I’ve been to the Gulf of Mexico a few times, I’ve learned that this is where all the best shells are kept.
Sea Shell Wreath DIY

Supplies:

  • Glue gun
  • Glue sticks
  • Crafter’s Pick Glue
  • Bleach
  • Water
  • Shells (I had about 100 various size shells)
  • Starfish
  • Wreath (grapevine pictured)

Directions:


Step 1
To whiten the shells:  Mix 1 part bleach with 3 parts water (I did 2 cups bleach + 6 cups water) in the sink.  Leave for about 5 hours or overnight.Step 2
Rinse well using a strainer (so the shells don’t go down the drain).  Rinse again – use dish soap if needed.

Step 3
Dry completely on a dish towel.  I just let mine air dry.

How to make a sea shell wreath

Step 4
Lay out your shells like a puzzle and get started hot-gluing them in place.  If you’re kids are doing this with you, Crafter’s Pick Glue is the best because it isn’t runny.

Halfway through making a shell wreath from shells collected at the beach.

Step 5
Stop and make sure it’s not too crooked or strange shaped.  I tied mine to the oven.  It looked pretty misshapen!  Go back and add more shells.  Check again, back up 10 feet again and look at it.  Final product….

How to make your own shell wreath from collected shells.

Done!  I actually went back and added a few more shells and a sand dollar after the picture was taken.  Feel free and make it anyway you wish.  I covered the entire grapevine wreath.  I’ve seen these wreathes retail for as high as $125!

Lessons Learned in Wreath Making:
1.  Do not use your favorite dish towels when shells are drying.  They may still have bleach on them!
2.  Attach your string, ribbon, or twine before you begin the project.
3.  Do not leave a metal spatula in the bleach – it will corrode.
4.  Make sure you have enough glue before you begin!

—–
Other posts you might enjoy:
DIY Seashell Ornament
Make this wonderful and easy shell ornament.
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Filed Under: Activities, Crafts and Celebrations Tagged With: Crafts, Happy Mom

About Kristen

Kristen is an Elementary Reading Specialist. She is the owner / author behind Busy Kids Happy Mom, a site dedicated to fun, practical, and purposeful activities to do with your kids. Follow Kristen on Facebook, Pinterest, and subscribe for updates.

What People Are Saying

  1. Creative Mammas says

    at 11:36 pm

    So cute! My mom used to make shell wreaths when we were little, but I never saw her bleach the shells. Great tip!

    Reply
  2. Kristen says

    at 8:56 pm

    Good point! I wanted to make a wreath with all different colors, but opted for the easier-to-me all white wreath. Some shells can’t be bleached, so I tended to choose ones that were pretty white anyway. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Hani@Craftionary says

    at 11:46 am

    Hi,

    You have been featured at craftionary for your awesome wreath. 🙂 Come check yourself and some other inspirational wreath ideas here http://craftionary.blogspot.com/2011/08/wednesday-wordplay-wreaths-great-ideas.html
    Thanks for the inspiration and great job.
    You can also grab a featured button if you like! A friendly gesture is always appreciated. 🙂
    Have a great day!

    Reply
  4. Hello, I'm Laura says

    at 10:15 am

    What an adorable wreath ~ I love it!

    Have a happy and blessed Labor Day!

    Reply
  5. Jill @ A Mom With A Lesson Plan says

    at 8:33 am

    Very nice wreath! We have a ton of shells… thanks for the link. 🙂

    Reply
  6. Miss Kitty says

    at 2:15 am

    These shell wreaths are so elegant! I’m glad that you like our shells down here on the Gulf Coast. Were these heavy by the time they got all the shells glued on? I saw your tutorial over on Pinterest…your post is almost a year old but still getting attention.

    Reply
  7. Kristen @ Busy Kids = Happy Mom says

    at 9:06 pm

    Hi Miss Kitty! Thank you so much for your kind comments! 🙂 The wreath does get heavy once the shells are glued on. I thought I’d use a nice ribbon or raffia, but the small twine rope proved to be the best! Thanks for stopping by!

    Reply
  8. Ashlea says

    at 5:31 pm

    Love it, thanks for sharing. Great tip about bleaching the shells too! It really does work 🙂

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 5 Sea Shells Decorations to Remind You of the Beach Year Round says:
    at 9:50 am

    […] yourself a shell wreath. Busy Kids=Happy Mom demonstrates how to make a stunning Bleached Shell Wreath. You can use the same concept to build a wreath with unbleached shells for a multicolored […]

    Reply

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