Mama Pea Pod: {Shell Crafts}

One of the things on our Summer To-Do List was to go to the beach to collect seashells. I didn't really have any particular use in mind for these shells, except perhaps for sorting activities or as part of a sensory tub, along with the sand and rocks we brought back from our beach vacation in Croatia in June.

Now that summer is here and we have begun collecting shells, I've started to think about what else we could do with them.

Here are some ideas:

Decorate a picture frame - glue shells round the edges of a plain frame, and you could even add some sand and/or (washed and) dried seaweed from your trip to the beach. Perfect for framing a picture of your day at the beach! (We picked up some plain, wooden frames at Michael's last week for just $1 each, and we've also bought them at IKEA in the past.)

Make fridge magnets - attach a piece of magnetic strip to the back and use it as is, or decorate it with some googly eyes first to make a shell creature.

Make prints - paint the backs and press them onto paper (or use fabric paints and press them onto fabric to decorate t-shirts, pillow cases, kitchen towels, aprons, bags, etc.)

Paint them - make a pattern following the shell's natural shape and patterning, or if you have a big, flattish shell, you could even paint a picture or decorate inside it - get out the glitter glue to make it extra fun!

Make a necklace - last summer Daddy found a shell with a hole in it, and we strung it into a necklace for Princess Pea to wear. Or you could carefully drill a hole, or even glue the shell to the string.

Make a memory game - if you have lots of the same kind of shell, you could turn them into a memory game by writing letters or numbers on the inside with a permanent marker.

Make a summer collage or picture - use sand, dried seaweed, pebbles, dried flowers, or anything else you like to create a unique summer-themed masterpiece!

Happy crafting!