4 Different Ways for Your Child to Display Their Summer Seashell Collection

Summer has come to an end and your child's collection of seashells have spilled out of their bag onto the top of your child's dresser. Your child spent hours combing the beach collecting the most beautiful seashells, starfish, and sand dollars, and proudly shows them to all visitors who enter their room. A seashells arrangement on top of a dresser is a great way to display your child's collection, but there are better, more colorful and useful ways for your child to show off their seashells. Here are Four projects your child can create to display their prized seashells.

NOTE: For all projects, make sure the seashells are free of debris by cleaning them with a soft toothbrush, warm water and mild soap. Also, if wanting shiny seashells, apply one to two coats of Mod Podge.

Shadow box

For this project, you will need a shadow box, coarse sandpaper, craft glue, and seashells. Cut the sandpaper to fit the inside back of the shadow box and glue it to the backboard. Have your child arrange their seashells on the sandpaper and then glue them in place. Their collection is now ready to be displayed on a wall, shelf or tabletop.

Coat rack

Purchase a ready-made wall-mounting wooden coat rack. I recommend one with three hooks and enough space above the hooks to glue the seashells. With a pencil, write your child's name above the hooks. Do not worry about neatness, as the pencil marks will be covered over. Have your child sort the seashells by size into piles, and then glue them to the coat rack over their written name. Try to have them keep like sized seashells together for better uniformity. Once the seashells have dried, you can hang the coat rack in your child's room.

Glass jar

For this project, seashells should be coated with several layers of Mod Podge (gloss finish) so they shine through the glass. If you want, dust the seashells with a little glitter before the last coat of Mod Podge dries. Find a jar, with a lid, that will hold all of your child's seashells. All the seashells should fit tightly in the jar, to prevent them from being able to move around when the jar is picked up. The more the seashells are tightly packed, the less breakage there will be.

Picture frame with a twist

For this project, you will need a wide-framed wooden picture frame, coarse sandpaper and craft glue. Remove the back and glass from the frame and cover the frame with the sandpaper, folding it to the back. Fold sandpaper edges under and glue in place. Have your child glue seashells in the upper left or right corner, starting with a large seashell or starfish and then going halfway across the top and down the side with smaller shells. Insert a beach picture of your child taken over the summer and hang on the wall in their room.

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Source: Personal Experience