100's of seashells!! Ideas please

[mum2phoebs]

We collected loads of seashells from the beach on holiday and I wondered if anyone had any ideas what me and my 3 year old daughter could make with them.

She just wants to paint them all, but I want to make something with them!

Ideas please

Thanks

We have got a bucket full of them as well. I was going to get a tub of modeling clay from ELC and get my DC to make some shaped and then press the shells in to them.

That's about the only idea I've had!

That's pretty much what we were going to do! I take it the modelling clay will dry and the shells will stay in place?

My neighbour stuck hers on her back garden wooden gate! It looks lovely and it makes me smile every time i pass it! Mind you...you would need a gate and its a bit permenant!

Or on an old painted shoebox that could be turned into a keepsake box?

Sorry if its not the kind of thing you had in mind..... !

drill them with little holes and make a wind chime.

three - what did she stick them on with?

you can make little animals with shells; Use a bigger shell,paint on features or use those tiny goggly eye things, a bit of string for a tail. You can glue smaller shells on for feet (but have to hold in place for a while for glue to set). My children used to love doing this after holidays at the beach. Cowries make good mice, you can also make people - limpets make good skirts and hats.

BadKitten-No idea, sorry! But they are still there after lots of rain....!

You can could decorate a glass jar with them if you put some plaster on first- they stick to it well.
We also put plaster around our mirror in the bathroom and stuck shells into that to decorate it like a sort of frame.

We had loads from France last year and Norfolk this year. DH got those deep box frames from Ikea (black ones) and lined the back-board with black felt. Then he got each DD to put the shells on the felt in their own design and he then carefully stuck the shells on with superglue (took him aaaaages ) according to their designs. Then he reassembled the frames.

They look absolutely brilliant - the girls' designs are amazing, particularly DT2's and the black felt makes the shells really stand out. Now we just have to get round to putting them up on the wall... .

make tiny holes in them and hang them from a fishing thread type thing and put them in the trees in the garden - spray them metalic silver too. We did this last year and they look like little stars in the leaves, very pretty

Thanks everyone for the fab ideas! I am off to Hobbycraft to get some plaster, definitely going to do some jars & mirror. Windchime sounds great too and the gate, ours could do with brightening up!!

Thanks!!!!

What do you use to make the tiny holes?