Sea Shell Craft
If you are a sea shell collector or fond of
sea shells , here are some tips to make creative use of it . Even if you don ’t
have , no worries . you can get variety of sea shells from a local store or any
beach shops. You can use these shells to decorate your mirror, photo frame ,
bags , jug etc . It becomes a beautiful collection which you can showcase.
About Sea Shells
Seashells belong to the kingdom of Mollusca.
Most Mollusca are soft fleshy slug like creatures that have hard external
skeleton which helps to protect them. Mollusca can be found in both salt and
fresh water, as well as on the land. In the oceans, this structure is
known as seashell.
Sea Shell Types
There are different sea shells available in
the market . Before starting a sea shell craft you should know these varieties
.
ConesHelmets
and ConchsMurexes,
Tritons, Whelks, and OthersWorm
and Carrier ShellsCaecums
and TusksAugers,
Horn Shells, and OthersDove
Shells, Ceriths, and OthersPeriwinkles,
Wentletraps, and OthersTops
and TurbansMoon
Snails, Nerites, and OthersTrivias
and CowriesMargin
Shells and EratosOlives,
Bubble Shells, and OthersLimpetsKeyhole
LimpetsSlipper
and Cup-and-Saucer ShellsAbalonesChitonsScallopsCockles,
Arks, Angel WingsClams
and PandorasMussels,
Razor Clams, and Pen ShellsOysters,
Jewel Boxes, and Jingle Shells
Cleaning the shellInterior Cleaning :
The best way to clean the inside of a shell
is to put the shell in the freezer for at least 1-2 days. Then, take it out and
let it unfreeze slowly. Do not put it into hot or boiling water.
The fastest way to remove the sand inside
the shell is to use a strong water jet which forces out the sand or any thin
dental instrument or needle .
To avoid the bad smell which may appear,
you can put the shell in various chemical products, depending on the shell
family.
Avoid putting any naturally polished shell
like cowries in water, or do not leave it more than few minutes, it may damage
the shell.
you can also put the shell in alcohol if
possible. The alcohol action is to dry the shell.
Exterior Cleaning:
For shells like Muricidae, conidae,
Mitridae, Ranellidae and Stombidae which do not burrow or do not have a mantle
to protect the shell,Fill a hermetically sealed container with
pure bleach (at least 32°-48° C). Soak it for a day. use water to clean and
then dry it.
Use a thin instrument like dental strips to
clean the outer coarse surface.
Avoid touching the shells often . Use
duster (rag) or brushes with soft bristles to clean it.
Shell Polishing
Some shells like cowries,
for instance – are naturally shiny and never need polishing.
For small shells or if you have large
quantity of shell , you can tumble them in a tumbler setup with a buffing
compound in the matrix.
With the river or clam shells you can clean
them with soap and water. Then use a dremel to cut them into the shape you
need. Use 600 grit waterproof sand paper to polish the outside and inside of
the shell. Polish or sand them underwater and this works very good to bring out
the shine. After they are smoothed by the sand paper, take a dremel buffing pad
and some jewelers rough and buff it to a very high gloss finish. This brings
out more color than you would ever imagine .
Egg dye or liquid food color : Create colours for shells following
pkg. directions for mixing dye. Dye about 2/3 of the shells one colour , 1/3
with another colour following dye instructions. Air-dry face down on paper
towels or use a blow dryer. Re-dye to darken shade to blend or to blend two colours.
Colour may be uneven due to shell structure, but that is part of the look. You
can also Tint fabric if you need .
Another method involves muratic acid,The
kind of stuff you get to clean you cement floors prior to sealing them. You use
rubber gloves and dip the shell in the acid. The acid quickly eats away
anything on the surface of the shell. A few seconds for smaller shells would be
more than enough. This is how they get abalone so shiny so it should work on
other shells as well. Rinse thoroughly with tap water and rub thoroughly with a
towel it should be nice and shiny.
For bigger shells like oyster shell or
clams ,the simplest way is to use nail polish or glass painting colors or
painting sprays to polish it.
Sea Shell Candles
If you want something more fun and easy to
do with small shells, you can make
candles. You can use small shells like Carrier Shells, Horn Shells , Dove
Shells or Augers. Buy some cheap pillar candles. Use the tip of your hot glue
gun to melt a spot on the candle and press a shell into the wax. You just have
to hold it until the wax starts to set. You can do the bottom half of the
candle this way and then tie a piece of raffia ribbon or any fancy lace around
the center. This makes for a nice shell candle piece to be displayed in the
guest area of your house.
Sea Shell Photo Frame
For a Shell Photo Frame all you need is hot glue gun, a simple
picture frame, and various sea shells. Then you give your own creative touch.
Choose a frame which keeps the shells glued
well .Choose the color of the frame in such a way to project the shell
decoration .Use bigger shells like clams for decorating the corners . Use
smaller shells like Carrier Shells, Horn
Shells , Dove Shells or Augers to fill the inner or outer rim of the frame. You
can also bead the shells if you want to cover the frame across its length and
breadth. Make smaller holes on the shell by using dremel or needle and then
glue the bead slowly over the frame. This saves time and if some shells fall
out you can glue it again as its now part of the bead. While drilling hole ,
make sure you are not breaking the shell.
Shell Mirror
Similar to shell Photo Frame , you can make
a shell mirror too . Choose a mirror with broader frame to showcase your shell
work . The frame should glue the shells well . Don ’t choose any glossy frame as
its difficult to glue the shells over it . also avoid frames with many
convolutions or designs as it may mask the shell decoration over it .
Shell Jewelry
This is a simple way to make a pendant necklace with bean
clams and one scallop shell. You can choose different shells depending on the
model you need. The scallop is the pendant in this. Some shells on the beach
have natural holes worn in the top like the gastropod shells and limpets. This
can be easily beaded. For other seashells you have to poke through a needle or
use a drill to create the hole in the shell. Use a dremel to make a hole on the
scallop. Also you can drill the edges / surface to get a desired shape.
You can crochet the shell to position it in proper place of
the necklace or you can also string beads in between the shells. Choose a
contrasting plain / nylon string or some thick wire to hold the pendant. Just
slide the wire over the holes of the shell. You got a simple , elegant shell necklace. Also
you can use non-yellowing clear gloss that keeps the shells shiny and provide
some protection and durability for the shell.
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