seashells

One of my family's favorite things to do at the beach is to collect seashells, and over the years we have accumulated quite a lot!  It is such a shame to have all those pretty shells stored away in boxes! We need to display those jokers...

Don't worry, there are ways to display all those tiny treasures without making your house look like a tacky beach condo! Take a hint from the following ideas and add a little summer fun to your home!

Spray paint different types of shells a matching color and mount them on framed fabric.

Addicted 2 Decorating

 For a subtle touch of summer, add a couple of pretty shells to your desk decor. (I think I have a really pretty one that would be perfect for this)

The Neotraditionalist

Display your larger shells on cake stands.

via Oliveaux

I love these empty muscle shells piled in a fireplace with candles! 

So coastal cottage!

Apartment Therapy

 Fill a big cylinder glass vase with your fav shells and display them on a bookshelf. (My parents used to display a vase filled will beautiful shells from their honeymoon, and when I was little, I remember loving to look at each one)

via Belle Maison

For a more carefree look, pile a bunch of mix matched shells on a stack of books.  Perfect for a side table or coffee table! (prob not a good idea if you have small children)

via Decor8

I highly recommend checking out the link below! It's a great tutorial showing you how to make shell topped bottles.



The Blessed Nest

Now for a little DIY of my own...

Of course our favorite shell to find is the sand dollar, and I came across a couple in my room the other day and decided they would look perfect hanging on my wall.

I used a frameless picture frame from Ikea, wrapped the fabric around, quickly secured it with tape (was in a hurry), then clipped on the metal hooks.  After that I hot glued the sand dollars directly to the linen. (Make sure to pull the edges tight and fold the corners neatly)

My parents have soooo many sand dollars, so I told my mom that she needed to do something similar in her master bath. It would be really pretty to have them mounted in shadow boxes and displayed on a gallery wall.

Kind of like this:

The Lettered Cottage

I hope everyone enjoys their 4th of July weekend!

I know I will because tomorrow I'm going to the beach!