Think Crafts Blog – Craft Ideas and Projects – CreateForLess

I answered a question from a crafter who dropped me a line at our Ask A Question page and I thought I’d share my response with everyone.  The crafter wanted to know how to clean seashells picked up along the beach while on vacation.  Shells are a great keepsake from the beach, but can end up stinking up the house if not cleaned properly.  The first step is to remember never take a live shell from any beach.  Check for life, including small hermit crabs that often use stray shells for new homes. It’s not worth the headache to clean a shell that still has a “body” in it so leave the little animal where it belongs.

To clean sea shells grab a bucket and fill it with one-cup bleach and at least 4-8 cups of water.  Drop your shells into the mixture to soak overnight or for at least 12 hours.  Remove and rinse (take care with your hands and wear a glove or use a large spoon to remove shells).  You can use this mixture several times if you have lots of shells, but do not store.  Pour the mixture down a drain. Bleach will remove algae and barnacles. You may have to use a brush to scrub too.

Some shells are naturally very shiny while others are not.  If you want to add some shine to your shells you can do so with a few light coats of clear finishing spray.  My favorite clear finishing spray is Krylon Crystal Clear Spray Gloss. Lay dry shells on newspaper and lightly spray.  Allow to dry completely and keep repeating the light coat of finish until happy with the shine.  I’ve also used spray furnish polish to shine shells, but this is only temporary.  Some experts also use mineral or baby oil to add some shine. You can brush on a clear sealer, but it’s harder to get an even coat.

Found shells are great to include on wreaths, in potpourri, centerpieces, and so many crafting projects.  We often find tiny shells on our diving trips and I’ve made several pendants that I hang on simple chain necklaces.  If you aren’t lucky enough to live near a beach or vacation near the shore, you can always buy seashells (often I prefer purchased sea shells because of the abilities to match up sizes and keep informality).  I also love to buy shell assortments since I will get a variety of shells in different sizes without having to find them in nature.

I have displays of seashells all over my house including a shore themed guest bedroom and our patio. I’m not sure if my love of seashells comes from living in Florida or my overall love of everything ocean! We get to visit our cousins Frank and Jean every year in Sanibel Island, one of the most famous shelling beaches in the world.  Each year is unique as to what shells you find and Frank is the expert when it comes to shelling and shell crafts. It’s kind of fun to talk shell crafts with a man who has been making shell gifts for his friends for over 15 years!  Here are some of my sea shell finds:

This platter serves up a nice display of my sea shell finds!

 

Simple terra cotta pots and glass are perfect to show-off sea shells. Shells in pretty bowls add height to this bookcase.

 

A large shell adds the perfect touch to this display.