Seashell Planter Home Made DIY

My seashell planter is one of my favorite homemade projects. It was one of those things you think about and never get around to. Every time I looked at the plain planter on the outside of my screen door I would think I really should replace that planter. It has a great aloe plant growing in it that was a baby clipping from a great big aloe plant that we never thought would take, but my daughter babied it and it was now thriving. I didn't really want to transplant it but I could. But I didn't. And I really like the shape of the planter that fit really nicely in the little plant stand. So really for months I did nothing. Except for say I really should do something with that planter, at least 3 times a week.

Aloe Plant In My Old Planter Pre Seashell Renovation

Then it happened. The great idea and motivation from out of nowhere. Wouldn't it be awesome if I could cover the planter with some of the great seashells I am always collecting from the beaches I love.

Seashells From The Beaches I Love

Out came the seashells. Tons of seashells. All different sizes, shapes, colors. Out came the tacky glue, mod podge and then finally, the only thing that really worked to hold the naturally shaped shells to the curvy shaped planter (with the aloe plant still inside the whole time) was the hot glue gun.

Seashells Work Great With A Hot Glue Gun

I have used tacky glue and mod podge with other great projects including shell art home made projects before with great success but this planter was not going to happen. The shells slid almost immediately so unless I held each one in place for about an hour it just was not going to work. Out came the hot glue gun and a fresh new package of glue sticks.

Seashell by Seashell. One by one I chose from the great colors and shapes from the sea that I had handpicked over the last few months just because they all just were fascinating to me.

Seashell By Seashell Hot Glued Onto The Planter Project

Choosing the right shells to fit any kind of pattern on the interesting shaped planter was no easy job. Pretty small crown conchs, olive shells in every size. Whelks and cockle shells and pretty scallops. So many to choose from. To fit in to the right spot. I also decided to add some pretty cool white decorative rock accents to give the planter that southern beach feeling so they got hot glued on also.

Seashell By Seashell Hot Glued Onto The Planter Project

It took a couple of days dedicating every minute and hour I could possibly run out to work on the seashell planter but I loved it as it started coming together. The family would come out to visit. There were many cups of coffee. Lots of eyes and helping me sort through even more shells. Plenty of fun DIY home artists in my family and lots of great advice. And more coffee.

Seashell By Seashell The Planter Was Really Starting to Come Together

A seashell project of love it took lots of time, hot glue sticks, seashells and coffee but I love my seashell planter

I was determined that every spot of the original worn out planter would be covered with something beautiful. Layer by layer. Shell by shell. Burned hot glued finger by burned hot glued finger this seashell planter was starting to look great!

Shell by shell. Burned hot glued finger by burned hot glued finger this seashell planter was starting to look great!

It took a ton of hot glue sticks, initially for the shells and rocks and then another layer in and out around every shell wherever I could to make sure this planter would make it through the harsh weather of down South Florida.  So far so good. Everything is holding on. As the summer comes and time goes by we'll see if the hot glue can stand up to the hottest sun in the world. 

I really am crazy about the seashell planter. Now I look at it every day and smile. It reflects who am I, what I love and what I love to do. Take things that are pretty cool and make them even better. The aloe plant seems to love it's new look too it's still growing like crazy.

And the good news is, if any shells do come off, I can always go back to the beach and collect some more seashells to replace them! 

 Searching For Seashells At The Seashore

Love Art and Beach Shells

Love art from the beach has to include seashells for our family and we love using the beautiful shells we find on the beach to create art, signs, decorations, photo frames, seashell planters...  You name it we love sharing our love of beaches, sunshine and shells all over our home.  My family gave me the greatest gift this Valentine's Day an awesome seashell art canvas that clearly spells out how much they Love Me.

Every beautiful shell was handpicked from our beaches including some of my favorite whelks, conchs, kitten paws, olives and some of the amazing beautiful sea glass my daughter the beach whisperer always finds every wonderful trip to the seashore.  Heart shaped rocks and shells decorate our home made shell art while pretty little seashells of beautiful colors become a magical butterfly.

Be creative in your home too. If you find some seashells big or small, round or long make something wonderful out of them and show someone oceans of love from the sea and from your art from the heart.

Seashell Solar Lights

Seashell solar lights are perfect because I love lights especially solar lights out in the garden, along my path, on my deck, in my planters, everywhere I can. I even have solar string lights for the holidays. They save energy because you don't need electricity. They look great and really light up a dark night. Solar lights are a great way to give a cozy we are home feeling to every house. Solar lights are even great on balconies and terraces if you live in a condo or apartment.

I also love seashells. My new passion is seeking out seashells because that's a great reason to go to the beach. Now that I have moved down South and the most beautiful tropical beaches are just a few miles away, going to any one of the beaches is the best way in the world to clear your head, leave reality behind for just a little bit and remember that out there, the sky meets the ocean and everything possible is on the horizon. Seashells are a token of that visit. They are big and small. Sea shells that are hard to find and some very common but every size, shape, color and type are just amazing and beautiful. I quickly have brought home so many seashells I love that I need to keep making things I love out of things I love.

We happened to have two leftover tiki candle cans that we had never used (I never set anything on fire with actual flames if I can help it probably due to my firefighter career (you can read more about that here) and had used the big tiki candles with two solar lights in it to light the back area of the house until they kept getting knocked over when we trimmed the bushes. The tiki torch holders were long gone but the cans and solar lights we still had. Tiki cans with no cool holders are just not that great looking. So out of the garage came the cans ready for a diy seashell home renovation.

First thing my husband did was clean off the can including any rust it had accumulated then spray paint it black so the writing and old stuff was all covered up and looked much better already.

Seashell home art projects often require the work of a glue gun. Shells are so irregularly shaped sometimes the mod podge and tacky glue just doesn't work. Your hot glue gun will work with seashells on almost every surface but you have to definitely have patience and definitely have fingers that will probably have to hold up to a couple of hot glue gun burns!

Slowly but surely my husband worked his way around the cans sea shells and glue, choosing some of our favorite calico shells, olive, clam shells, small conch shells, all the colors and shapes that would fit into each spot. Every single shell we found with our own hands, during so many visits to the seashore every day new finds now DIY fastened to a cool new home light project. 

Not to say there wasn't any under the breath cursing every time a finger met the glue or the shell moved or the glue dried before it was in the right spot, but it was worth every minute. It took a couple of days between spray painting the light cans, hot gluing the shells to the light but it was like adult arts and crafts that ended up a DIY project we really use and love.

After both lights we decorated with shells, the hot glue all set and the lights cleaned up and charged by the sun we covered the entire beach shells surface with mod podge to seal it up hopefully keeping the harsh weather from breaking down all of our hard work. So far, so good!

We hope you will join us on Facebook at Bonfire Designs and share some of your home DIY projects, fun beach adventures or share your love of beaches with us too.