Easy Seashell Crafts for Kids

Any visit to the beach is incomplete for the kids until they collect pretty seashells. Finding seashells on the beach has been the family tradition for most families across the world. The pretty seashells in various sizes, shapes and colors make attractive collectables for both kids and adults. However, once the haul from the beach has been brought home, they are kept in some container and forgotten. Instead of storing these pretty shells in the container, why not turn them into adorable beach keepsakes? The seashells can be used to make easy crafts by the kids to keep their beach memories alive at home.

Seashell Craft Ideas and Activities for Children

Spark your kid’s creative juices by engaging them in making easy seashell craft ideas. Home decorations made from seashells will also develop their fine motor skills while they have fun making these crafts. The seashells, along with other things, can be turned into many things by the kids with a bit of help from the adults. These cute seashells craft will remind them of their fun beach vacation for the years to come.

Here are some easy DIY seashell crafts for the kids:

1. Cute Crabs

This cute crab made of seashells is one of the easy seashells decoration ideas. The kid can easily make them by self and decorate their home.

What You Will Need

• Shells
• Chenille stems – orange
• Acrylic paint – orange
• Paintbrush
• Googly eyes
• Glue
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Let the kid paint the shells in orange color.
2. Help the kid to cut eight pieces of chenille stems of 2 ½ inch length.
3. When the paint on the shell dries, stick the chenille stems on the underside with the help of glue to make the legs of the crab.
4. Stick the googly eyes on the shell to complete the crab.

2. Tropical Seashell Fish

Looking for some easy painting seashell ideas to make adorable crafts? These tropical fishes made by painting seashells are easy to make and look cute displayed in the house.

What You Will Need

• Seashells – assorted sizes, both big and small
• Googly eyes
• Glue or hot glue gun
• Assorted paint colors (preferably in bright colors)
• Paintbrush

Instructions

1. Let the kid paint the big seashells in assorted colors.
2. Keep aside the smaller seashells to use as tails and fins.
3. Now glue the tails and fins on the bigger shells. Make sure the body of the fish is of a different color than the tail and fins.
4. Glue the googly eyes to the fish to complete your seashell fish.

3. Seashell Necklace

Looking for some easy idea of seashell ornaments DIY? Make this seashell statement piece and amaze your friends with your kid’s creativity.

What You Will Need

• Seashells (small)
• Air-dry clay
• Paint colors
• Paintbrush
• Glass glitter or any glitter
• Pastel color shavings (optional)
• Skewer
• Glaze
• Cotton twine or a string or chain (thin)
• Beads (glass or wood)

Instructions

1. Take a small ball of clay and soften it with your fingers. Don’t take too much clay as it dries very fast.
2. Flatten the clay and create a hollow in the centre for paint.
3. Add few drops of paint to the hollow and mix the clay to color it. Add more color drops if needed to get the color you want.
4. Make a coin shape of the clay of at least ¼ inch thickness. It should be larger than your shell.
5. Add glitter or pastel color shavings to give texture to your clay.
6. Press a shell into the clay before and shape the clay around the shell. You can make a round shape or teardrop, or oval shape. Make sure the clay is pressed firmly against the shell to bind them strongly.
7. Poke a hole in the top of the clay coin with a skewer.
8. Once the clay dries, apply a coat of glaze. Apply another coat once the first one dries. It gives a glossy finish.
9. Make more clay coins with shells in different colors.
10. String all the clay coins with shells on a chain or twine with beads in between to complete the necklace.
11. You can also make cute shell wreaths out of these clay coins by sticking them together on a circle shapes cardboard.

4. Seashell Snowman

Make your Christmas special by making adorable snowmen out of seashells.

What You Will Need

• Large seashells
• Craft paints – orange, black and white
• Paintbrushes
• Small paper plate
• Glue or hot glue gun
• Twine or thin ribbon
• Small rhinestones (optional)
• Craft glitter (optional)
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Paint the upper side of all the seashells in white color.
2. Take the paper plate and squirt the black and orange color on it.
3. Take a thin paintbrush and paint snowmen features on the seashells. Use black dots for eyes and mouth and paint a triangle shape with orange color for the carrot nose.
4. Glue rhinestones and glitter on the seashells as extra embellishments.
5. Let the snowmen dry.
6. Once dry, attach the thin ribbon or twine at the back of the snowmen with glue.
7. Now your snowmen are ready to be hanged on a tree or anywhere else.

5. Cute Shell Girl Puppets

Make creative and cute girl puppets with seashells. This craft uses lolly sticks and shells to make adorable puppets for your kids to play with.

What You Will Need

• Shells
• Lolly sticks in people shape or extra wide ones
• Washi tape or printed tape
• Strings (different colors)
• Color pens
• Glitter
• Glue
• Shiny stickers

Instructions

1. Stick washi or printed tape on people shaped lolly sticks to make the clothes, feet and arms of shell girls. In case you didn’t find people shaped lolly sticks, use extra-wide lolly sticks and make arms by cutting their sides and cut a round shape on the top to make a face.
2. Draw the eyes, mouth and nose using the colored pens. Make buttons on the clothes using colored pens.
3. Cut strings in short pieces and glue them on the top of the head to make hairs.
4. Apply glitter and stickers on the shells.
5. Glue the shell on the lolly girls as their skirt.
6.  Your shell girls puppets are ready to play.

6. Seashell Picture Frame

Remember your beach holiday by making this cute picture frame using seashells. This picture frame can be used to display your beach holiday picture.

What You Will Need

• Seashells
• Picture frame
• Photograph
• Glue or glue gun
• Glitter (optional)
• Embellishments (optional)

Instructions

1. Wash the shells to remove sand and other residues.
2. Arrange the shells on the picture frame as per your choice.
3. Carefully lift one shell at a time and glue it back to the frame. Repeat with all shells.
4. Apply a bit of glue in spaces between the shells and sprinkle glitter, or glue the embellishments in those spaces.
5. Let the frame dry.
6. Insert your favorite picture in the picture frame.

7. Seashell Peacock

Turn seashells into peacock’s tail feathers to make this cute peacock. Use colorful play dough to make this peacock in this seashell craft.

What You Will Need

• Seashell
• Playdough- blue, orange, white and black
• Paint- green, blue and yellow
• Paintbrush
• Cotton tips – 2
• Glue

Instructions

1. Paint the seashell with green color. Let it dry.
2. Once the shell dries, take the cotton tips and make small dots on the shell with blue color. Let it dry.
3. Now take the other cotton tip and make dots on top of the blue dots with yellow paint. Let it dry.
4. Make a smooth ball with the blue color play dough. This is the head of the peacock.
5. Roll the white playdough in an even form. Make two small circles out of the white playdough by pushing the pen lid in it.
6. Roll the black playdough in a flat shape. Make two small circles make the pupils. You can use the piping bag nozzle to make the circles.
7. Gently place and push the black circles on the white circles.
8. Make two small balls of the white paly dough and gently push it on the black pupil to complete the eyes.
9. Make a ball of orange playdough and flatten it from one side. Mould this side into a beak shape to make the beak of the peacock.
10. Push the orange beak and eyes on the blue head.
11. Roll another bigger ball of blue playdough to make the body of the peacock. Flatten it a bit to make a cylindrical shape. Flatten the back part of the blue cylinder body using the seashell. Now glue the shell to the body to make its feathers.
12. Make a small divot in the peacock body and fit the head into it.
13. Make crest of the peacock by rolling small paly dough balls into a cylindrical shape. Squeeze the bottom of the cylinders to make teardrop shapes. Lightly flatten them and place them on the head of the peacock.
14. Your shell peacock is ready

8. Beach Keepsake Craft

Make a beach keepsake decoration at home using the seashells and pebbles collected at the beach.

What You Will Need

• Shells
• Sand
• Pebbles
• Beach glass
• Gull feathers
• Small glass jar with cork stopper
• Twine

Instructions

1.  Pour sand in the jar. Make sure it fills almost 1/3 rd of the jar.
2.  Place the pebbles, shells, feathers and bits of sea glass on top of the sand.
3.  Close the jar with the cork stopper.
4.  Know the twine on the neck of the glass jar to complete your beach keepsake.

9. Seashell Jellyfish

Make colorful and sparkling jellyfishes at home using seashells. This cute craft is easy to make and requires few materials.

What You Will Need

• Seashells – large size
• Glue or tape
• Yarn – in many colors
• Paint colors (preferably bright colors)
• Paintbrushes
• Glitter (optional)
• Scissors
• Googly eyes (optional)

Instructions

1.  Paint the seashells in assorted colors.
2.  Before the color on seashells dries, sprinkle the glitter on them so that the glitter sticks on the paint. You can skip this step if not using glitter.
3.  Cut the yarns into small strips.
4.  Glue or tape the yarns to the back of the seashells.
5.  You can glue the googly eyes on the shells to make the eyes.
6.  Your jellyfish is complete.

10. Seashell DIY Mosaic

Make these DIY mosaics by using seashells and pebbles with quick-setting cement. These adorable mosaics can be used as paperweights, garden decorations or just as a special keepsake for that memorable day at the beach.​

What You Will Need

• Seashells – of various sizes
• Aluminium pie pans or small size aluminium tins
• Sea bits – sea glass bits, pebbles, etc.
• Plastic bucket or bowl
• Wooden stir sticks
• 1 cup measure
• Plaster of Paris
• Water
• Decoupage sealer or Mod Podge (optional)
• Paintbrush

Instructions

1. The adults or parents should make the Plaster of Paris mix for the kids by taking two parts or two cups of cement in the plastic bucket or bowl. Add one part of water to it and stir with a wooden stick.
2. Pour this mixture into the tins or pans.
3. The kid can stick the shells, bits of sea glass and pebbles into the cement once it starts to harden. Press them a bit to make sure they get properly embedded in the cement.
4. Once they are almost dry, the parents can help the kids to take them out of the pans and break off the rough edges.
5. Apply a coat of decoupage sealer or mod podge to seal the shells and give the mosaic a bit of shine.
6. Seashell crafts are a great way for kids to treasure their memories from the beach. These easy to make crafts also help kids in developing their understanding and teach them to follow instructions.

Also Read:

Easy and Fun Ocean Crafts for Kids
Creative Paper Craft Ideas for Children
Spring Crafts for Toddlers, Preschoolers and Children