Decorating with Shells – An Oyster Shell Ball Tutorial

One of my favorite activities when I visit the beach is shell hunting. For years I have been slowly adding to my collection and using my treasures in my home.

They are scattered about in almost every room and serve as a reminder of the many fun vacations my family has enjoyed over the years.

This summer I decided to collect shells which I had previously ignored – oyster shells.

I have seen lots of different decorative uses for these shells and decided to try my hand at creating a simple shell ball.

It was an easy process requiring only shells, hot glue and a Styrofoam ball.

I began my project by grouping the shells by size.  By using shells of nearly the same size, I figured I would increase my odds of ending up with something round.

Beginning in the middle of the Styrofoam ball, I simply applied hot glue and stuck/pressed the shell into to Styrofoam through the glue before it hardened.  I worked in a single row around the circumference of the ball before beginning the next row.

The entire project took about twenty minutes and when I was finished I had a decorative reminder of another great summer of fun!

Do you use shells as decorative accessories in your home?  If so I would love to know how you display your beach finds.