Seashell Wreath
Many people dream of it but few people can afford a vacation home. I know it's always been my aim but alas never truly been within my grasp. However, my grandparents owned a home on an island off of Rhode Island.. I was only 13 when they sold it. I remember feeling so sad and when I look back on that memory I wish I had fallen to the floor, grabbed their ankles and said "NOOOOO!!! Please don't sell this! Your future great grandchildren will want to go there! I'll take care of it, I'll be generous with it and let all the relatives and friends stay too!". But I didn't and it's gone now. Someone with no knowledge of it's preciousness ripped down the sweet little cottage and built a seaside McMansion.
And for the record, I want a little cottage someday, NOT a giant, view hogging McMansion. Enough said.
So for now, until that miraculous day of money rains down on me, I must content myself with renting homes at the shore that others own. I started crafting with shells as a way to bring back that feeling of being at that beautiful little cottage again.
A few things about this project that you should know before you start....First, this wreath is heavy! Make sure you have a solid hanger on it. Second, it takes much hot glue to complete this. And third, your glue gun should be set on "high" because shells are hard to work with. They have a tendency to fall off and slide around when you are gluing them on. And fourth, be careful! I burned myself badly while doing this wreath. So if you ever see one of these wreaths and they seem expensive to you, now you know why!
And for the record, I want a little cottage someday, NOT a giant, view hogging McMansion. Enough said.
So for now, until that miraculous day of money rains down on me, I must content myself with renting homes at the shore that others own. I started crafting with shells as a way to bring back that feeling of being at that beautiful little cottage again.
A few things about this project that you should know before you start....First, this wreath is heavy! Make sure you have a solid hanger on it. Second, it takes much hot glue to complete this. And third, your glue gun should be set on "high" because shells are hard to work with. They have a tendency to fall off and slide around when you are gluing them on. And fourth, be careful! I burned myself badly while doing this wreath. So if you ever see one of these wreaths and they seem expensive to you, now you know why!
Materials:
Wreath (grapevine, wicker, styrofoam) Seashells in assorted sizes and colors Seaglass, assorted Copper wire Hot Glue (a LOT!) Seaweed or moss tufts |
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Do yourself a favor and get a GOOD glue gun! It makes all the difference in your projects and helps lesson your chances of burns. We LOVE this gun!
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Place the medium to smallish sized shells next. Make sure you anchor the shells on solidly with plenty of glue.
This close up shows the placement of the shells, glass and seaweed. You are going to fill in the spaces between the shells with more material now. Just keep layering materials until you get the right look. Shell wreaths look better when they are full.
Here you can see a close up of the copper wire. I curled it and made the squiggles by wrapping it around a pencil. Do not wrap the wreath around in circles with the wire but rather weave it throughout the shells in the front of the wreath, curling as you go. You can cut the wire in pieces to make it easier.