Artsy DIY Ideas For Decorating With Real Seashells From The Beach

Whether you prefer decorating in the upscale and comforting coastal grandmother style or the relaxed beach vibe, using real seashells is a great way to bring any chic beach style to your home. If you love a good stroll with your toes in the sand, coastal decor is something you can easily pick up during your daily walk, or at least on your vacation. Simply collect a variety of shells that pique your interest as the salt lightly sprays your face, and later, turn them into the ultimate seashell decor. If you're really landlocked, however, you can consider buying these Fangoo mixed beach seashells of various sizes and colors. 

Seashell projects combine three important aspects of any coastal inspired aesthetic: the beach, leisure time, and an inclination for natural art. A popular seashell DIY that's easy for first timers is making seashell wind chimes. All you need for this project is a few pieces of driftwood, your handpicked seashells, and some string. Use a variety of string lengths to attach your chosen shells to your driftwood. Tie more string to the driftwood to add another horizontal piece of wood. Add shells to this second hanging driftwood piece for a tiered wind chime. Lastly, use a longer string attached to each end of your first driftwood to be able to hang the windchime. Attach the windchime outside your front door so each time you or a guest arrives at your home they are instantly greeted with the calming sounds and sights of the sea.

Seashell bookends are great DIY decorative accents to style a bookshelf. One such project, like this one from Maria Brittis of Simple Nature Decor, can add color, texture, and depth to your shelves by layering different seashells on wooden bookends. You can use any shells you've gathered from the beach, from oysters to cockle and scallop shells. The fundamentals for this DIY include two thick pieces of wood, seashells, and strong glue. Start by sanding and then painting your wood blocks any color you wish. Choose a color that complements your bookshelves and any other colors in the room. Once painted, glue the wood pieces together to form a bookend, one standing up and one lying flat. Lastly, arrange and glue a cluster of shells on top of the flat lying piece of wood.

This project can be varied both in painting and seashell design. Instead of one all-over color, you can opt to stencil a beach-inspired design, like coral, a starfish, or a nautical star. You can also swap out your cluster of seashells and instead use strong glue to decorate the entirety of the bookend with seashells. Covering the bookend with shells will create a very eye-popping piece, so keep the rest of the shelf's decor understated to prevent the area from feeling too busy.

Last but not least, you have to give this DIY decoupage seashell project a try! TikToker @artbybrianne showcases the project from start to finish using cloth napkins. There is plenty of room for variation here, as you can use any seashell (though the larger, the better) and any type of napkin with a design you prefer. Consider stores like HomeGoods, Michaels, Homesense, or Marshalls for a good selection of napkins to choose from. Once you've got your napkins and shells, pick up a bottle of Mod Podge, a paintbrush, and some Plaid Liquid Leaf paint for finishing your edges.

To make these, simply size and cut your napkins to match your seashells (go slightly larger so the napkin will fill the seashell), then paint the inside of the shell with Mod Podge, lay the napkin over, and paint over the napkin. Trim any excess napkin and then use your Liquid Leaf paint for the most stunning gold edges. Don't like the flash of gold trimming? Not a problem! Ditch the Liquid Leaf paint all together and leave your shell dishes with a raw edge finish.

After the decor DIY is complete, add these loose shells as a display on your dining room table or in a basket of an ocean-themed bathroom. Or, just put them on top of a dresser to admire them. Adding DIY coastal decor into your house is a simple way to jazz up your home with inspiration from seashells.