Hello everyone – Happy heat wave! Abby back with another upcycle project for you all!
If you all are looking for a project to keep yourselves cool during this heat wave, I’ve got a fun one for you! Since it’s summer vacation time, I wanted to share a project for those of you who just got back from a fun beach vacation, or those of you dreaming of one: a seashell frame!
This project has been on my list for a while, but a few variations of it. Inspiration below, but ultimately, I’m working to collect/upcycle/DIY various elements for an 80s Miami-themed room, and this one fits right on in (my starburst mirror is another key piece for my future room and why I went with gold for this project vs white).
Read on for how to make your own seashell frame!
To make your own seashell frame, you will need:
1. Seashells (or other found objects)
2. A frame, mirror, something to put your seashells or found objects on – I found a few different objects at my local Goodwill – go for something lighter weight since you’ll be adding weight with your found objects
3. Hot Glue
4. Scrap cardboard (if you’ll be building off of your frame, like I did)
5. Scissors
6. A Marker
7. Spray Paint (optional – not pictured)
8. Staple Gun (optional – not pictured)
I started my project by building out the top of my gold frame to hold extra seashells on the top (similar to my first inspiration image). I glued some pieces of cardboard together, and then glued and stapled them to the back of my frame. Because my gold frame already had an image included, I moved some of the staples around on the back so I could slide in a new photo.
Then I turned my frame over and started to place seashells. I honestly, don’t remember the last time I was at a beach with seashells, but somehow, I have quite a collection of seashells. If you are going to end up painting your final project, you could easily swap seashells for other items you have lying around the house. Buttons, little toys, paper flowers, fake flowers, really anything that you can hot glue to your frame.
Once your seashells are all glued down, now’s the time to decide if you like your project the way it is, or if you want to paint the whole thing to bring some cohesiveness to the overall effect. This was a really tough decision for me, but in the end, I decided to paint my project gold to match my starburst mirror. If you have a mirror in your frame, or glass or anything, you’ll want to remove all of that before painting.
And that’s that! Hang your new masterpiece in a special place and admire it daily!
What do you think? Do you have a collection of seashells or other found objects lying around you could use for a similar project? Is this something you think you’ll try out? If you make your own upcycled frame, we’d love to see them! Share with us on social, @goodwillakron or @_abigaildrennen!
Happy crafting!
_Abby