Shell Crafts

Do you have a shell collection collecting dust? It’s always nice to make good use of your found nature objects rather than letting them sit idle, then we can appreciate them more. 

So I’ve come up with three shell projects to suit different age-groups. These activities could likely be applied to other natural objects too, such as feathers, leaves, rocks, or seeds.

Googly eyes:

So simple, put googly eyes on anything and it becomes a lifelong friend. Sometimes they have sticky backs, but otherwise some PVA or hot glue is your best bet. Add other facial features with a paint pen, or even some pipe cleaner limbs?

Shell beading:

Many shells naturally have holes or eroded sections that lend themselves to threading. I had some fairly thin twine which I waxed on each end for easy threading. My toddler had lots of fun poking these shells onto the string, but I needed to tie them in place. These would make great necklaces, or wall-hangings.

Painting:

This is an activity which could suit the slightly older kids in the classroom. Why not encourage your kids to take time looking closely at the shells and drawing or painting them like a still-life? I started with watercolour paints, exaggerating the colours a bit, painting a basic background colour wash. Once the paint was dry, I got a fine black marker and added in the finer details and textures.