Fun Kid Crafts with Seashells

If you are like me you collect shells when you go to the beach. If you are also like me you always end up wondering what am I going to do with all of these shells. Seashells are awesome materials for craft projects, and here I will describe four fun projects that you can complete inexpensively using shells.

Seashell candles are great uses for seashells and you can reuse old candles to make them. Simply buy wicks from your local craft store, gather old pieces of candle wax, and deep shells that can fit on upside down without wobbling. Now glue the wick to the inside of the shell and melt the candle wax. After the wax is melted but not too hot you can add some fragranced oils to make the candles smell nice. Fill the shell with wax and let the candle cool. Trim the wick and your seashell candle is ready.

A sea shell organizer is fun and a great addition to any desk. You will need a block of wood or something suitable for a base. Next glue 2 scallop shells to the base standing up with enough room in between to fit papers and mail. Now add some sand and other shells to the base for decoration and you will have a great seashell organizer.

A seashell herb garden is beautiful and an awesome way to reuse shells you have collected. You will need deep shells that can stand up without wobbling, potting soil, and herb seeds. Make sure the shells are clean and dry and add potting soil to the insides. Add some water to the soil so it is moist, and sprinkle the seeds lightly over the dirt. Set your shells in a sunny spot on a windowsill and water frequently but not excessively. The seeds will sprout quickly and you will have a lovely little seashell garden.

Another fun seashell craft is the sea shell butterfly magnet. It can be created using only glue, a pipe cleaner, pompom, magnet, and four shells. Make sure that each set of two wings are similar to create a symmetrical looking butterfly. You can paint the insides of the shells if you like, but I have found many of the shells are already so pretty on the inside I do not want to paint them. Now twist the pipe cleaner to serve as the long cylindrical body of a butterfly and glue the pompom on for the head. Next glue the shells together to simulate wings and glue the body and head onto the shells. Glue the magnet to the back, and your beautiful butterfly is done!

There are many crafts you can create using seashells, and I hope this article has inspired you to use the seashells you collected at the beach this summer!

Felt Fun Crafts: Hair Accessories

 

Felt is a great medium for many projects. It comes in a wide variety of colors, and you can even find felt that has patterns or glitter on it. Felt is a great medium because it is durable and does not need to be sewn on the edges to keep from fraying. Another reason felt is so awesome is that it is so cheap. A regular sized sheet of felt only costs about 30 cents and if you buy it in bulk it is even cheaper. Felt is a perfect fabric for creating hair accessories, and this article will give you detailed instructions on how to make several hair accessories with felt.

Felt flower headbands are a lot of fun to make and they are super easy. You will need a somewhat wide headband, various colored sheets of felt, a hot glue gun, scissors, and some beads. The beads are optional but they add a nice touch. To start cut various size circles out of the felt. Next fold then in half twice. Now cut small slivers out of each circle while it is still folded. Open up the circles and you have a wonderful daisy flower. Using the hot glue gun arrange these flowers on the head band in a design you like. Remember to overlap, and use two or three different sized circles on top of one another to add a twist. After all the flowers are glued add beads or gemstones to the centers for an even more stylish look.

Felt butterfly clips are easy to make. You will need for this project is various sheets of felt; the sturdier felt works well for this. A hot glue gun, a barrette or banana clip, and scissors are required as well. Now start by picking a color for the base of the butterfly. Cut a square out of this color and fold it in half. Using the scissors cut a v shape into all of the sides of the square except for the folded one. When you open it you will have butterfly wings. Now cut various size circles out of felt and add them to the wings as details. Cut a small circle and cylinder out of a darker felt and add this as the body. After the entire piece is glued together attach it to the clip.

Rainbow felt hair bands are really pretty, and this project is easy for smaller children to create. Start by cutting many long thin strips of different color felt. Now fold a long strip of felt in half. Hold the hair band in one hand and put the loop of the folded felt inside of it. Push the ends of the felt around the hair band and through the loop. Pull it tightly and continue with the rest of the felt strips until the hair band is full. This is a fun project, and you can use whatever colors you like.

Felt is a fun material to use for many craft projects. I hope these crafts have inspired you to use felt for your next project.