If you’re planning a beach trip this summer, be sure to bring back a bucket of shells so you can try your hands at one of these gorgeous, easy seashell crafts.
There’s really no limit to what you can make from shells. Artwork, home decor items, jewelry. chandeliers. monograms, shadowboxes, wreaths, candles and more — so many seashell crafts for you to try.
I’ve been a busy little beachcomber scanning my favorite blogs for the coolest, most creative and prettiest seashell crafts around. Once you check out all these projects, you’ll want book a trip to the beach.
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Whether you’re looking to decorate for your home, accessorize your outfit or find a use for all those oyster shells leftover from your seafood dinner, you’ll find lots of beachy inspiration. There are even seashell crafts for kids.
I’ve used a lot of these projects in my own home, especially in our coastal-inspired guest bedroom that is designed to feel like a seaside resort.
Keep scrolling to see all the projects or use the table of contents to navigate to a particular section.
Table of contents
Seashell Crafts for Your Home
Give your home a beachy or coastal vibe with these easy seashell crafts, including wreaths, tabletop items, shell mirrors, DIY seashell picture frames, vases and other keepsakes of your vacation.
Click on each project for more information and the full tutorial.
DIY Seashell Wreaths
These DIY seashell wreaths and door decor can be hung indoors or out. A shell wreath is great for a beach house or to hang on your front door during the summer months.
Seashell Artwork
Create beautiful custom seashell art for your home with these tutorials.
Oyster Shell Crafts
Oyster shells are abundant. In fact, many restaurants give them away for free.
The shells can be used to make all kinds of crafts, including jewelry dishes, oyster shell mirrors, necklaces, salt cellars, candles and DIY oyster shell chandeliers.
Seashell Jewelry
Learn how to make all kinds of seashell jewelry, including necklaces, earrings, bracelets and hair clips. You’ll be amazed by all the things you can make with shells from the ocean.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have a question about crafting with seashells, where to find seashells for crafting, how to clean shells and the best kind of glue to use with shells. Find the answers below.
Leave your questions in the comments, and we’ll try to find the answers.
As you visit the links for these seashell crafts, you’ll see that the bloggers use a variety of different glues for their projects.
Hot glue is popular with crafters because it sets and dries quickly, but it’s not always the best choice when working with shells. The bond may loosen over time and the shells may pop off, especially if you’re gluing shells to a surface like glass or porcelain.
You’ll have the best results and a permanent bond using E-6000, Gorilla Super Glue or Weldbond. You can also buy a specially formulated seashell glue that bonds to wood, metal, ceramics and other surfaces.
As you can see from these projects, pretty much any kind of seashell works for crafting. The type of shell really depends on the project.
For projects where you’ll be gluing shells to another surface, pick ones that have a large, smooth surface area for best adhesion.
Cowrie shells, scallop shells and cockle shells are good for making jewelry.
I really enjoy crafting with oyster shells. They’re good for making candles, oyster shell mirrors and ring dishes.
Whatever type of shell you’re working with, make sure they are clean and dry before crafting with them.
If you’re crafting with seashells you found on the beach, you will probably want to clean them first to remove any grit and to ensure they don’t stink.
Soak shells in a 50-50 solution of bleach and water for an hour or longer. You may also need to scrub them gently with a brush. Rinse with soap and water to remove any bleach residue and remaining dirt and grime.
You can also clean seashells by adding 2 Tablespoons of baking soda and a dash of salt to 2 cups of hot water. Allow the seashells to soak to remove the grime.
The best place to find seashells for crafts is the beach! They’re free and abundant.
But if you need a large quantity of shells or a certain type, you can also purchase them. I have included some shopping links below. When buying seashells, make sure they have been legally and ethically sourced.
Shop for Seashells
Need a specific type of shell for a craft or a large quantity. If you can’t find what you need at the beach, don’t worry. You can purchase seashells in bulk.
More Beachy Inspiration
If you enjoyed these seashell crafts, you might want to check out these other coatal and beach-inspired ideas.
- Sand Dollar Soap
- Maritime Blueprint Chest
- Nautical Bathroom Ideas
- Backyard Beach Party
- Summer Days Homemade Coconut Lotion
- DIY Nautical Picture Rail for Vacation Photos
- DIY Bowl Flip Flops
Pin This! 25+ Gorgeous Seashell Crafts
Judy says
I love ideas.