Quick and Easy Summer Seashell Project

Ever wonder what to do with all those great seashells you picked up at the beach? Instead of stashing them away or arranging them in a basket, here is a quick and easy way to display and feature your findings. All you need is a small shadow box which you can pick up at any craft store such as Michaels or AC Moore. I actually got mine at the dollar store but it had some cheesy picture in it that I just removed. Other materials you will need for the project is a hot glue gun, elmers glue, some funky papers, and acrylic paint. Once you have the materials for your project, just follow the simple steps below:

1. paint your shadow box.
I wanted to maintain that "beach" feel so I painted a tan (or sandy color) undercoat and then I dry brushed white over that.
2. after it is dry, cut out and glue some colored or textured paper inside to the back of the box.
I chose texture over color- simple white corrugated paper.
3. cut out a simple mat from some colored paper.
You can decide how thick you want it by using the window frame as a reference. Depending on the size of your shadow box, I would say a good mat thickness is about a half inch. I chose a cool sky gray to compliment the rich warm tones of the shells.
4. glue your shell(s) inside to the back of the box using hot glue.
Since my shadow boxes were small, I chose to keep it simple and display just one item.
5. glue your pre-cut mat to the outside lip of the box. Some shadow boxes are different than this one and you may have to glue it to another spot.
6. Put the box together.

Voila! Enjoy!