Posted from: 9-21-2016
This year I finally realized my old dream - I made decor from seashells. I have been collecting shells for a long time - from every trip to the sea I brought with me a certain amount of shells. I was all about to start making crafts from shells for the interior, but, as they say, “the preparations were short-lived” 🙂 The only thing is that the shells were used to decorate miniature gardens in bowls, the creation of which I am passionate about.
This year I was lucky enough to visit the sea near Anapa, in st. Blagoveshchenskaya, where we were camping on a sand spit. There were absolutely extraordinary shells there - the likes of which I had never seen in my life. They were large, bright, some were even covered with some kind of limescale, reminiscent of coral formations.
Of course, during my vacation I was enthusiastically collecting this beauty, with the goal of subsequently making decor from shells. Other shells, smaller ones, I collected on the Sea of Azov when we went to the port of Caucasus near Taman to meet a friend from the ferry.
When we were returning from the sea, we stopped at Ikea near Krasnodar and there I bought two wooden mirrors, hoping to decorate them with shells. I started decorating the mirror with my own hands while on a trip - it’s nice to do something creative on vacation when you have a lot of free time. For this I only needed pva glue, shells and the mirror itself.
How to glue shells to glass
Many people ask me how and what kind of glue can be used to glue shells to glass - I will say with all responsibility that better than glue I can't imagine it.
You need to glue the shells like this: you squeeze PVA glue onto the surface (it should be thick and create a layer of 3 millimeters on the surface. That’s exactly how it is, and not as many people do - they simply smear the surface with a brush. In the latter case, the shells will fall off almost immediately.
But if you squeeze out the glue in a thick layer, then carefully place the shells in the glue (don’t be afraid, this will not harm the beauty), then they will stick very well. When the glue dries, its layer will become thinner and it will become transparent and invisible. This is exactly how I glued the shells to the mirror. Large orange ones were collected on the Black Sea, and small ones - on the Azov Sea.
Look at the shells themselves in macro photography - you can’t see the glue at all!
This is how the mirror was originally.
Well, this is what it became after decorating with shells.
The next idea to implement is to make one out of shells. Fortunately, after my last trip I have a lot of them.
Hello, dear readers! I really want to extend my summer vacation at sea, don’t I? But work and other obligations cannot be delayed; at least the memories of a wonderful seaside holiday are warm in the soul! But such memories can be extended, and not by looking at colorful vacation photos, but with a hand-made mirror frame, decorated in nautical style. Just imagine how wonderful it will look in the interior of a bathroom or hallway, constantly feeding you with pleasant memories of the warm sea!
Mirror with shells photo
Mirror with shells photo If you brought shells from the sea, then literally after a few days you may notice that they have darkened and a terribly unpleasant smell has appeared. Below you will learn how to bring the shells into proper shape.
How to clean seashells at home.
- Freeze the shells. Some people recommend freezing the shells in a bag filled with water, I know from experience that no water is required, place the shells in a bag, tie it and place it in freezer. After a while, when you can deal with the shells, take out the bag, wait until the shells defrost (do not untie the bag during defrosting - otherwise you will smell a pungent odor). After defrosting, tie a cotton-gauze bandage on your face, put gloves on your hands, arm yourself with tweezers, a knife, and a sharp wooden skewer and remove the insides of the shells.
- Boil the shells. There is another way to clean shells: pour water into a saucepan, carefully immerse the shells in it, and boil the shells in boiling water for about 15 minutes. Then drain the water, let the shells cool, use tweezers and remove all the insides from them. At the final stage, rinse all sinks thoroughly running water.
- How to bleach shells. Take glass containers, immerse the shells in it and fill it with laundry bleach. After 1.5 hours, you can take out the shells; if necessary, you can hold them longer. Rinse the sinks under running water, dry, lubricate vegetable oil and after a while, cover with colorless varnish. When drying in the sun, try not to overexpose the shells, otherwise they will crumble.
How to decorate a mirror with shells.
✓ Mirror in frame;
✓ Hot glue gun with glue sticks (transparent instant glue can be used);
✓ Shells, pearl beads and river pebbles;
✓ Colorless varnish;
✓ Tweezers.
Where can I get shells?
- Gather on the seashore;
- Purchase in coastal shops (usually these departments sell shells of all shapes and sizes at affordable prices);
- Purchase in souvenir shops in your city;
- Order in the online store;
- Purchase in “Everything for Creativity” stores;
- Ask friends and relatives.
Well, let's start decorating the mirror with shells.
We place the mirror on the table, heat up the heat gun or simply arm ourselves with a bottle of transparent instant glue. We cover the mirror canvas with cloth or paper so as not to drip glue or scratch it.
Paste on inner contour mirrors are small shells, it is better to apply glue to the shell itself, of course, when applying glue to the frame, things will go faster, but since the moment tends to harden quickly, you may simply not have time to glue the seafood. Make sure that they are located symmetrically and do not jump out of the intended row.
After creating the shell outline, you can start gluing large shells, but before gluing, just apply the shell to the frame and evaluate whether it looks appropriate here.
After gluing the large shells, start filling in the gaps between them using pearl beads, river pebbles and small shells. If you plan to stick on starfish, then remember that they are very fragile and need to be glued on first, and then other decorations should be placed around them. The gaps can also be filled with clean sea sand or light beads can be used.
When a marine-style mirror is completely decorated with all kinds of seafood, leave the product to dry completely; 24 hours will be enough. Then we coat the frame with a glossy, colorless varnish, and after drying again, we admire the result!
Mirror with shells photo
Mirror in a marine style photo.
I suggest you look at a selection of photos of square mirrors, complemented by shells.
Such mirrors will highlight the interior design of the bathroom, hallway and bedroom. And how perfectly they will fit into the thematic marine interior!
Mirror in marine style photo Round mirrors decorated with different-sized shells.
Such mirrors look very neat and quite compact, so they can be hung in any room of the house; in addition, such a mirror is perfect as a gift!
Oval mirrors decorated with shells and other seafood.
Such mirrors look truly cozy, they will instantly help to enliven the overall interior atmosphere. Just one mirror can dramatically change the entire home environment; thanks to its bright decor, it will become the main accessory in the house and will constantly attract attention.
Rectangular mirrors decorated with large and small shells.
This form of mirror is perhaps the most traditional and in demand. A large mirror, decorated with shells of various shapes, can be hung in a central place in the living room or dining room.
Mirror in marine style photo
A mirror is not only an object that helps you evaluate your appearance, it complements the interior, adds style and performs aesthetic functions. With the help of an originally designed mirror, you can significantly change the image of your home and give your home a complete look and unique style.
You will need:
- Various shells;
- Pearls different sizes;
- Sea pebbles;
- Glue "Moment";
- Clear varnish;
- Sand, beads, sparkles, etc.
- Self-adhesive paper;
- Ammonia;
- Water;
- Mirror.
Instructions:
- First of all, it is necessary to degrease the surface of the mirror, shells, pebbles and pearls using water and ammonia. Using self-adhesive paper, frame the mirror the desired shape and size.
- Once you have made the frame, you can begin the most exciting process - decorating. First, it is recommended to stick large shells symmetrically. They can be fixed to the sides or corners of the mirror. If you use starfish when decorating, be careful, they are quite fragile.
- Fill the space between the large shells with small shells, pearls and pebbles. You can also add sea sand, salt, beads or glitter. Do everything carefully and carefully, carefully thinking through where you glue the elements.
- At the end of the work, shake off excess sand, remove any remaining glue and coat the frame with clear varnish (if the mirror will hang in the bathroom, coat it with 2 layers of varnish). This will add reliability and prevent the elements from crumbling, maintaining their appearance.
- When the mirror is completely ready, you can hang it in the place provided for it.
You will need:
- Mirror;
- Transparent silicone sealant;
- Beads;
- Masking tape;
- Alcohol.
Instructions:
- First you need to prepare the surface of the mirror: to do this, treat it with alcohol. Using tape, separate the part of the mirror from the part you will decorate. The border should not be made too wide, otherwise the decor will look tacky and heavy. The line of tape can be uneven and arbitrary, the main thing is to maintain symmetry.
- Apply sealant to the part limited by the tape. thin layer. Carefully pour the beads onto the surface with the sealant, leveling it. The beads should lie in an even layer without visible gaps.
- Instead of beads, you can take transparent pebbles of different sizes. In this way, decorate the entire separated surface of the mirror.
- Once you have made your beaded frame, carefully remove the tape and let the sealant dry.
DIY mirror: decor options
The easiest way to decorate a mirror is with regular paint. You need to pick up suitable paint not only in color, but also in the nature of the frame material. The mirror frame can be painted in a neutral, solid color or bright, with contrasting patterns. The only thing worth considering is harmony color scheme interior
The mirror can be decorated artificial flowers. You can take flowers of different sizes and glue them in any order. The gaps between them can be filled with beads, sequins, sparkles or beads. A mirror decorated in this way will look beautiful in the bedroom.
A good option for decorating a mirror is ribbons. You can make many different colored bows in different sizes and attach them to the frame. In addition to bows, you can cut small squares from multi-colored ribbons and place them on the frame, creating a patchwork fabric. This mirror will look great in the hallway.
To decorate a mirror in the bathroom, use ceramic tiles or CDs. You can decorate a mirror using the mosaic technique. For effect, use bright or mirror tiles. This option is quite labor-intensive and time-consuming, but the result is worth it.
A mirror for a children's room can be decorated with a puzzle. Buy a children's puzzle and glue its pieces onto the frame to create a picture. This method is original and bright, your child will be delighted!
Decorate the mirror for the New Year You can use rain, tinsel, garlands, paper snowflakes and angels. In addition, you can buy artificial snow at a special store and spray it on the surface.
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You can make a frame out of cardboard, glue shaped macaroons and paint them with acrylic paint. This mirror will look perfect in the kitchen. Instead of pasta, you can take beautiful buttons and stick them in any order.
A mirror is an indispensable piece of furniture that is found in every home. The problem is that not every home has an interesting mirror; as a rule, they are standard. With the help of available materials, you can create a real work of art, diversifying stylish accessory interior in any room.
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Every summer many people go to the sea. But the vacation flies by instantly, after which only memories remain. The seashells you bring with you can remind you of the gentle beach.
Often these seafood products remain in the cupboard without bringing any benefit. But you can make your own decor not only from cardboard or other material, but also from shells.
How to use shells to decorate your apartment and crafts?
To create an individual room interior, you can use various decorations that are easy to do yourself.
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From materials such as shells, you can create unique photo frames, vases, boxes, etc. Such decorated items will remind you of a wonderful vacation, while creating beautiful decorations.
DIY shell decor ideas Seashells will look especially appropriate in the bathroom, but they can be added to any corner of the apartment. They can be used to decorate a box or vases that will look good and complement the interior.
This decorated item is also used as a gift. In addition, those who have an aquarium use shells as decoration.
How to decorate a regular mirror with shells: decorating instructions
A simple mirror is ideal for decorating with shells. For this they also use acrylic paints. It is better to choose tones that will resemble the sea and sand, which you can use to paint waves or a piece of the coast. And shells can complement such an exquisite mirror. They are glued with glue. The main thing is to choose an adhesive material that can withstand steam if the decoration takes place in the bathroom.
But the shells will look beautiful in another room too. Best used in the bedroom or living room pastel shades when painting a mirror.
Decorating photo frames with shells in a marine style
Shell decor can even be done on a photo frame. At the same time, this will be easy to do. To do this, just use your imagination, choose a suitable decorated material, and then glue it to the frame. The end result will be a nautical-style frame like the one in the photo below.
DIY shell decor, photo frame design
Such creativity can be supplemented by:
- glitter
- beads
- rhinestones
Decorate a transparent vase with shells and get a stylish accessory
You can decorate a vase with shells from clear glass. To do this, just pour the seafood into a container. This vase is placed on bedside tables, small tables, and shelves.
A slightly different option is also offered. Before filling the container with shells, you need to pour sand into it. This combination will look harmonious, and a starfish can complement it.
DIY shell decor, vase decoration
We decorate pots for home flowers with shell rock
Housewives often decorate their indoor flowers pebbles. But shells can replace them. To do this, just lay them on the soil around the plant. But, in addition, you can stick shells on the pot itself.
Thus, it will be transformed, become original, attractive. Guests who come to the house will not be able to help but notice such beauty.
Decorating pots for home flowers with shells We decorate the yard, garden or cottage with seafood
They are simply laid out near plants, bushes, and fountains in the yard. They can make a great addition to your pool.
So, don't hide shells in closets or sideboards. They can be used to decorate in an original way various items in the house. Even an ordinary soap dish, complemented with shells, can transform a bathroom.
You can also decorate balconies and pendants. You need to use your imagination, and then create original decorated objects.
