With the abundance of sellers online, you don't even have to go to the beach to find pretty shells for crafting. You'll find a huge variety of sizes, shapes and colors for homemade wreaths. For a breezy summer feeling all year long, make a colorful wreath with starfish, colored shells and beach glass, or create an all-white design to use as decor for a beach wedding.
Starfish Wreath
Use a grapevine wreath of any size. Purchase one large starfish 8 or 9 inches across and an assortment of smaller starfish, white or colorfully dyed, ranging in size from 2 inches to 5 or 6 inches. Before gluing, arrange the starfish on the wreath. Cover the entire wreath with the smallest starfish, then arrange the 5- or 6-inch ones, leaving the center bottom space for the largest, the 8- or 9-inch starfish. When you're satisfied with your arrangement, glue the starfish to the wreath. Tie a piece of raffia into a bow and glue it beside the largest starfish.
White Wreath
Cover a Styrofoam wreath of any size with wide, white satin ribbon. Secure the beginning end of the ribbon with a pin and wrap the ribbon around the wreath, gluing it to the wreath as you work. (It's best to use craft glue rather than a glue gun because hot glue can melt the Styrofoam.) Using an assortment of small white seashells, arrange the shells on the wreath, covering it completely, and glue them in place. Allow the glue to dry. Place three larger decorative shells, such as scallop or sun moon shells, in a cluster on the bottom left and glue them on top of the smaller shells. Make a large bow from the same white satin ribbon you used to wrap the wreath and glue it to the center bottom of the wreath.
Shells with Beach Glass Wreath
Buy multi-colored shells and beach glass, or choose one or two colors of each type of material. For example, use pink and white shells such as apple blossom, pink tellins and sea urchins with pink and white beach glass. Or pair green littorina, cat's eyes and limpet shells with green beach glass. Use a grapevine wreath of any size. Arrange the largest shells and glass pieces on the wreath and fasten them using a glue gun. Fill in any openings with the smaller shells and glass pieces and glue them in place. Cut an 18-inch piece of narrow, satin ribbon to match your shell colors. Glue small shells and glass pieces to it. Form two loops to resemble a bow, without actually tying it. Place it on the wreath and glue it in place.
