I have always liked to collect seashells and a little bit of sand from every beach that I’ve been (and now my daughter brings home even more things from the beach than I ever did), and a few years ago I had the idea to make an ornament for the Christmas tree with some of the shells and sand we’ve collected. It came out really pretty, so I started offering it in my ornament shop (I call it “Serenity“)… I do still sell the ornament, but I wanted to share a DIY for it anyway, because if your kids are anything like mine and end up bringing home tons of shells, this is a super cute way to use them. Not to mention it is an awesome memento from a trip or vacation that the family can see every year. (You could even paint the year on the outside to personalize it even more.)
Oh, and by the way…if you DON’T have your own shells to use but want to make this ornament…I found a great website to buy miniature seashells (when I started selling my Serenity ornament, I quickly realized I had to find an additional source for shells). All of her shells are handpicked, and they are always gorgeous and in perfect condition when they arrive in the mail, even the tiniest sand dollars (she packages them really well).
So for the ornament, all you need is some tiny seashells, beach sand, a clear glass ornament (or plastic if you prefer), some white glitter (optional), clear craft glue (my favorite as always is Beacon’s 3-in-1 Craft Glue), and any other embellishments you’d like.
Make sure you start with a clean ornament…swish a little bit of rubbing alcohol around the inside, and then dump it out and let it dry completely. Add a little bit of sand…you don’t want to add too much though, or the ornament will be too heavy for the Christmas tree branch, and also the shells will constantly get buried in it. I imagine that a funnel would really make this adding the sand part easier, but I don’t happen to own one, and I never remember to grab one while I’m at the store..
I also like to add a little bit of glitter to the sand (I use Martha Stewart coarse crystal glitter …I love the added sparkle, and it makes it look a little more festive and holiday-ish. :)
Now just drop your shells in (the kiddos love this part):
Before you put the cap back on, put some of the clear craft glue around the inside of it…this will help ensure that the weight of the sand doesn’t pull the ornament right out of its top when it’s hanging. We don’t want a beach under the Christmas tree.
For my Serenity ornament, I add a Poinsettia to the top after the cap is on and has dried completely. I cut off the plastic center of the flower, sprinkle it with a little bit of glitter, and sew a freshwater pearl to the center.
I just glue it to the top of the ornament:
All done. Isn’t this a cute and simple idea for a great beach keepsake?
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Very pretty, very ‘Florida’
Thanks, Peggy :)
I have probably a stupid question but I’m going to ask it anyway. If this is supposed to hang off of the tree then where is the hook supposed 2 go? I don’t see room 4 it bc of the flower….
Hey April…the hook is attached to the cap of the ornament. The flower is off to the side of the cap just a little bit. (In the picture above where I’m gluing on the cap, I had taken the little wire hook out first, but then put it back in after the cap was dry, and I forgot to show that…sorry about that!) :)
Very nice ornaments. We take pride in our ornaments as well.
Dan Ornaments
http://www.ornamentsandmore.com/familiesandlargegroups.aspx
Thanks, Dan :)
I love your seashell ornament. I have one a friend made for me years ago with sand from Hawaii! I was looking at the picture, and I’m curious, how did you get the sand dollar a starfish in the ball? They look too big to fit.
Sue, it was very close, but it did fit!
This made me think of something though…for any shells that ARE too big, they do have plastic ornaments that open up. Those would work for anything that is just too big, and also for stones and things that could possibly break these fragile glass ornaments. :)
If the ornament is shaken, will the shells be buried under the sand?
Otherwise, love it!
Hi Lily,
Yes, they will definitely get buried if you shake it…but if they do, you can shake it side to side gently, and they will come back up to the top. The trick is shaking it side to side. :)
I love love love this idea! I wanted to make something special with the itty bitty seashells that I found for Christmas presents and this is the perfect one. Thank you for sharing!
Do u know how to get sand to stick together to mold into a sand ornament. ?
Thanks so much for sharing – I LOVE it! We’ve linked up to you in our post “Clear Ornament Inspiration.”
http://youpinspireme.blogspot.ca/2012/12/clear-ornament-inspiration.html
Hi there. Love these ornaments and really appreciate you sharing the idea and suppliers. I am having a problem with the sand dust sticking to the sides. Do you have any suggestions?
Please tell me where I can buy the glass globes this time of year. The HobbyLobby link was disabled. These are all so pretty. A perfect gift!
Jane
Hi Jane,
Sorry about that! I just emailed you a new link. If that one doesn’t work, try going to hobbylobby.com, and then click on the “online shopping” box. When you get there, there is a search box, and search for “clear glass ornaments” and you should see a few different options. I hope this helps! :)