Decorative shell letters
Since we will be moving into the new storage space in the lower level of the Pollinator Paradise addition to the Dickinson County Nature Center soon, we decided to go through the current storage area to reorganize and get rid of unnecessary items.
Some stuff is pretty obvious to throw away when you're doing deep cleaning of storage areas. Some stuff isn't needed, but it just seems a shame to throw those items away.
Shells are some of the items that we had way too many of but didn't just want to pitch them. So, we put together bags of them and are selling them in the Nature Store for 25 cents each. The large shells that don't fit in bags are just 25 cents each, or the really large, beautiful shells are priced at $1.
We have had some takers, and we're excited that perhaps someone, somewhere will get some enjoyment or use out of these shells.
Today, I was inspired to use some of the shells for a fun craft project --- a decorative, shell-covered letter.
I chose a B in honor of our environmental education coordinator Bryanna Kuhlman and began piecing my design together.
All you'll need to copy this design is:
Shells (some from your own collection or stop by and purchase some of ours for cheap!)
A large wooden letter
Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks
First, lay out your shells on your letter to make sure you like the design. I recommend layering shells to cover as much of the wooden letter as possible, because it looks more finished. I actually added more shells at the end, even though I had laid mine out to start with.
In each small section, take the top layer of shells off, setting them to the side in the same way they were laid on the letter. Glue down the bottom layer, and then glue the top layers.
Continue around until your letter is covered with shells.
If you want to hang them letter, add a loop of twine to the back, or stand the letter upright as a decoration.
(Find other fun crafts, like this turtle thumbprint painting, on our website.)
