Decorating with shells

Let’s just continue with the whole “urban craft” theme from last week for a while longer: A few months back, I converted a beat-up old mirror from my grandmother’s house into a really nice piece by glue gunning rows of small natica shells around the damaged border. This quick and easy mirror project cost about $20 in shells and glue gun materials. With shell and nautical themes still very trendy, I have started thinking about other ways to incorporate shells into interior design.

The trick to decorating with shells is to use the materials in consistent colors and modern patterns. Simply gluing a hodgepodge of shells will probably result in something that looks more like a beach souvenir than a nice piece of furniture. One prime example of shell decorating done right can be found at the Monaco Hotel in New Orleans (pictured). At this hotel, designers coated the fireplace and inset bookshelves with shells to accent the lobby’s African theme. For renters, this may be a bit too big of a project. Instead, try gluing shells onto an ottoman, vase, picture frame or small table. You can purchase bulk shells cheaply online or visit your local shell shop.

Do watch out when using the glue gun however. The smaller the shells, the more likely you are to burn your fingers while gluing. Get together some friends, some glue guns and make a party of it!