For many families, the long Memorial Day weekend heralded the arrival of beach season. Now, as we creep closer to the official start of summer, many other clans will be heading out to enjoy Mother Nature at her best. However, rather than coming back from your family vacation with just a sunburn, why not return with some natural souvenirs that can be crafted into these incredible works of art:
Shell Frame: Select a wood or sturdy plastic photo frame. Adhere shells you’ve collected from the beach along the perimeter of the frame. You can use a hot glue gun if you are working with larger shells, though regular craft glue will suffice if your shells are smaller or lighter.
Beach in a Jar: Clean a clear glass jar with some Windex. Use a Sharpie or a label maker to write the name of the place where you collected the shells you are planning to place in the jar. Fill the jar about a quarter of the way up with sand. Drop in shells, sea glass, small pieces of driftwood, pebbles, and seaweed. Glue a large shell, a sand dollar, or a group of shells on the jar’s lid. If you don’t have enough shells to decorate the outside of your jar’s lid, you could supplement with ones found at the craft store. Most shops, including Hobby Lobby and Michaels sell bags of seashells at affordable prices.
Beach Mobile: Sort through your collection of driftwood, shells, and sea glass. Discard any tiny pieces or ones that are too damaged to work with. Next, drill small holes through the sturdiest pieces of driftwood. Thread string or fishing line through each hole and tie a knot at one end. On the other end, tie the shells to the line. Once you have connected all of your shells, you can hang the mobile from the ceiling as a reminder of your beach vacation.
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