No summer holiday on the seashore is complete without souvenirs, especially those that you can collect with your own hands on the coast. The most varied shells in themselves are already decoration, but if you add your imagination to everything, you can create something more original and unusually beautiful. For example, stylish candlesticks made of shells, which will not only remain as positive emotions from your vacation, but will also be a long, pleasant memory of your summer vacation.
Seashells come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so you can make different types of candle holders that will decorate your room or can create a cozy atmosphere for a romantic dinner.
How to paint a shell
If your sea or river shells are not a very beautiful color and you don’t see your future candlestick in them, it doesn’t matter. They can be easily painted in any color. Let's look at several methods.
- The fastest and easiest way is to spray paint from a can. Here you can use absolutely any paint - the shell will withstand anything.
- Acrylic or oil paint using a sponge. The brush will leave streaks. If the shell is small, then the easiest way is to dip it completely in paint.
- Using thin foil for decoration. Let's look at it in detail in the master class below.
Seashells spray painted
Decorating the mirror
The bathroom will be transformed beyond recognition if you decorate the mirror with seashells. To create the background of a composition made in a marine style, use gold or turquoise acrylic paint.
Seashells, pebbles, small, beautifully shaped beads will be an excellent decoration for mirrors.
When gluing shells, you need to take care of the strength of such fastening. The glue should be suitable for damp rooms, because water and fumes will constantly fall on the mirror.
Anyone can make such an original decor on their own.
Seashells in a bedroom interior will look no less impressive, but here it is better to stick to a pastel color palette.
The decor of the mirror should be more restrained and match the style of the room.
Shell decor is a beauty that is very easy to create. To decorate the mirror you will need:
- Seashells of different shapes and sizes;
- Thermal gun for needlework;
- Double sided tape;
- Imitation pearls;
- Pebbles;
- Clear varnish.
Decorate the frame with shells of different sizes and colors.
Before starting work, wash and dry the shells. Protect the mirror surface from damage by covering it with cloth or paper.
- Choose the smallest shells. It is desirable that they be of a similar size. Glue them along the inner rim of the mirror using a glue gun or double-sided tape.
- Proceed to decorate the second row with larger shells. The distance between them should be approximately the same. For better adhesion, apply glue to both the mirror frame and the shell itself.
- Fill the space between the shells with pebbles and pearls.
- Let the glue dry, then coat the resulting composition with colorless varnish.
Enjoy the resort atmosphere from the comfort of your own apartment.
Shell decor with foil
We will need thin foil for decoupage, decoupage glue or PVA. Work order:
- Apply glue to the surface of the shell.
- wrap it in decorative foil, after 1-2 minutes the foil will begin to become saturated with glue and soften;
- wait 20-30 until it dries completely and remove the remaining foil with a soft brush.
Master class: making a candlestick from shells
We invite you to make a fairly easy master class with a photo of a candlestick made of shells in a marine style, which you can make with your own hands. To prepare such a candlestick you will not need to spend a lot of your free time and effort. You will need the following materials:
- Medium to large seashells.
- Residues from a paraffin candle or a candle in a metal stand.
- Wick.
- Scissors.
Before using shells, they must be prepared. First, rinse with running water or water with added salt. If this is not done, the shells may over time emit an unpleasant odor that will ruin your craft.
Take candle tablets
After this, take the candle and melt the paraffin in a water bath or on an electric stove, if the candle is in a metal stand.
Melt the candle
Then take a piece of wick, put it in a sea shell, securing it with a dry piece of paraffin, and fill it with melted paraffin, while securing the wick in place with something. Leave it until completely dry (1-2 hours). That's all, our wonderful candle is ready for use!
Pour wax into the shell
Installing the wick
To make the candlestick even more attractive, you can paint not the shell itself, but the wax. To do this, when melting the wax, you need to add oil dye.
Colored shell candle holders
If you place them on sea stones you will get a great composition!
Unusual decor ideas
The assembled sea and river shutters and reels are very easy to adapt to decorate any room in the apartment. You just need to use popular ideas or choose the most unusual solutions for styling your home. For example, doors of different sizes and shapes are suitable for creating an amazing New Year's wreath. They are an excellent replacement for balls and cones. You just need to brightly paint them in the chosen color scheme. The creation of custom products can be carried out for simple styling of kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms and even verandas or terraces. With the help of beautiful cones and scallops, you can decorate not only your home, but also complement your everyday outfits. Using wire or jewelry accessories, you can create beautiful necklaces, bracelets and small rings. Seafood is also suitable for lining a wooden box in which such original jewelry will be stored.
Three-dimensional paintings, installations and wind chimes
Due to their relief and beautiful shape, the neat “houses” of rapans are excellent for creating three-dimensional paintings. They must stick to the wooden base. In this case, the base can be anything: from rectangles, squares to stars. After laying out and gluing all the design elements, it is worth painting them with black or dark blue paint. To emphasize the volume of the painting, it is recommended to cover individual elements with gold or paint them with silver. Prefabricated installations will look no less good in home decoration. They are a frame made of branches to which thin ropes are attached (vertically and horizontally). Sashes, cones, scallops brought from vacation can be attached to the ropes themselves or placed in the center of each of the resulting squares. But for the garden you can make other hanging products - wind chimes. To do this, you need to make holes in the sashes and tie them to ropes at an equal distance. Secure the ropes themselves to a branch or small stick.
Candles and fireflies
Making original candles yourself is quite simple. To do this, you will need to take several ready-made candles, wicks and large shells. Next you need to work according to the following instructions:
- Melt the candles in a water bath.
- Place the wicks in the combs and smooth flaps.
- Pour melted paraffin over the wicks, holding them gently.
- Wait for the paraffin to harden, fixing the wick in one place with toothpicks or a clothespin.
An easier way to create luminous products is to make “fireflies”. To do this, individual doors and scallops of the same shapes and sizes (with small recesses) need to be glued into one structure. The recesses of the valves should be turned towards each other. A garland and lamps should be placed between the curved elements.
When fixing the wick in a new candle, you need to avoid contact of clothespins and toothpicks with paraffin. Otherwise, the surface of the candle will be uneven.
Interior jars and night lights
A very interesting interior element can be made with assembled cones, scallops and a regular jar. To do this, you just need to place them beautifully in a glass container. To give the finished product a brighter and more attractive look, it is recommended to lay down a layer of sand (regular or colored). Its thickness can be from 2 to 5 cm. The higher the jar used, the larger the sand layer can be. It is recommended to place such products in the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. In this case, you can use jars of different sizes for work. Another interesting decorated element can be created with a garland. If you put a garland in a jar and gradually fill it with “skeletons” and doors, you can create the best night light for a child and teenager. Such products can be additionally filled with pearls and glass beads.
From river shells
You can also make candlesticks from river shells using this method; they look especially impressive when there are a lot of them.
Decorating a room with a bathroom with shells
As we have already said, the best place to decorate with items made from shells will be the bathroom, where there is plenty of room for art. Decorate the bathroom mirror with shells; you can use them to make unusual soap dishes.
We decorate the interior with shells and stones - Everything will be fine - Issue 27 - 08/15/2012 - Everything will be fine
Seashells in the interior will be an ideal decoration; the main thing is to choose the composition according to the rules. Unleash your own imagination, collect very beautiful shells on the seashore and add decor created by your own hands to the design, looking at which you will not only be proud of the created details, but also remember a great vacation on the seashore.
Seashells are always suitable in the interior, the main thing is not to overdo it, you don’t need to “sculpt” them everywhere you can, since over a period of time a lot of them can begin to irritate you, and a small proportion of them will add a special note to your interior. Create, try and create your own masterpieces on your own, which you will not find in more than one house.
Many fans of seaside holidays bring home various shells of mussels and other inhabitants of the depths after their vacation. With such elements you can easily make the design of each room in your home stylish and original. Making your own decor from shells is not difficult if you choose an interesting idea. For example, doors and scallops are suitable for decorating walls or furniture, creating plates and stylized jars for the kitchen. The attractiveness of creating such products is the minimal waste of time and ease of assembly. They can be fixed with a glue gun or putty, plaster. Additionally, the doors can be painted, varnished or plated with gold or silver. The created products will perfectly complement the modern and classic design of bedrooms and living rooms. They can also be a wonderful gift for friends and acquaintances.
Varieties of shell candlesticks
There are also many options for other handmade candlesticks made from shells.
Candlestick in the shape of "Lily"
A more complex version of such a candlestick would be to make it in the form of a lily.
Oyster candlestick
- To do this you need large shells, a wooden or ceramic base, a glue gun and acrylic varnish.
- Having prepared the base for the candlestick, glue the first row of shells, and then the second and all subsequent ones on top of the first, attaching the shells a little at an angle .
- Then apply a coat of varnish to the shells and eventually you can decorate them with gold or silver spray . Then insert a thick candle into the middle, and your candlestick will surprise you with its originality.
Wreath of river shells
From a vase or glass
A very simple, but at the same time very elegant candlestick can be made if you place a thick candle in an ordinary glass or vase, then fill it with sea sand (you can also use river sand), about a third. Place small shells and corals around the candle.
On a candle
You can create very beautiful candlesticks simply by gluing shells of any size to the candle with a silicone gun.
3. From an old wooden candlestick
If you want to throw out your old candlesticks, don't rush to do it. Restore them to give them an original appearance by covering them with shells of different sizes and shapes.
Step-by-step instructions: DIY shell paintings and panels
After preparing all the necessary materials, you can start working on the panel.
Step by step guide
:
- We paint the frame with stain, potassium permanganate or acrylic paints. The frame needs to dry completely. A white and blue frame works well for a marine-themed panel.
- We insert the board or plywood into the prepared frame.
- Mesh, fabric, sand, burlap are used as a background.
- We cut out the mesh, fabric or burlap prepared for the panel to the size of the frame. We attach it with glue. It is convenient to use a special glue gun. If creating panels is a hobby, then you should spend money and buy a glue gun; it is not expensive, but is very convenient, since the glue is applied carefully, in small portions. This will prevent the glue from spreading.
- The next stage is the main, most exciting and interesting. We make panels from shells and other materials directly on the panel. We carefully attach each part with glue.
We treat the assembled panel with acrylic varnish. This will allow the panel to look more finished; in addition, the varnished parts shimmer beautifully in the sun.
Safety regulations
In conclusion, I would like to remind you to follow safety rules when using candlesticks with candles burning in them:
- A candlestick with a burning candle must be carried very carefully.
- Candlesticks should be placed only in places away from flammable things.
- Do-it-yourself candlesticks must be stable, and the candle itself must be firmly fixed.
- When creating candlesticks, you should use only those materials that are not flammable.
We wish everyone good luck, the best inspiration and creative success!
Decorating photo frames
Even the simplest photo frame can become a stylish and original accessory. Seashell decor will help you achieve this effect. In addition to sea shells, your assistants will be the same acrylic paint, as well as pebbles, sand, beads and sparkles. Details made from rope thread or starfish will also look interesting.
A frame made of shells will remind you of warm sunny days.
Arrange them on shelves, hang them on the wall or place them above the fireplace. Such frames are simply created to place photographs from the seashore in them and remember the happy moments of your vacation on cold winter evenings.
Each of us loves to spend a vacation at least once a year, basking on the seashore and swimming in warm salty sea water. A holiday at sea flies by quite quickly. Occasionally, even so quickly that it seems like it was just a dream. I really want to make this sweet moment last longer, but how can I do this? A lot of people have found a simple answer to this question; they take with them mud caught in the sea. Find shells on the shore. But shells lying on a shelf or in a box won’t be able to remind you all the time about your seaside holiday; maybe it’s worth using them for interior decoration so that they please not only your eye, but also those who come to visit you?
How to decorate the interior of a house using shells and how to do it? This is exactly what we will try to talk about in our publication.
Panel of shells - “Independent work”
