We make an original panel from shells with our own hands

A panel made of shells becomes a highlight of any interior. It is especially great if it is created with your own hands, and each element used, obtained on vacation, has its own history.

As the name suggests, a panel of seashells is created on the basis of various gifts of the seas. Ideally, of course, they are assembled with their own hands during a summer vacation, but it is also possible to buy a ready-made set in a specialized store or even in the market. The shape of the shells is selected in accordance with your own preferences, but it should be remembered that the more unusual it is, the more unique the finished work will look. When collecting shells of mollusks in a tight container with a closing lid, it is also worth putting there a few branches of exotic trees or even pieces of coral, as well as stones of different sizes that have changed their shape under the influence of water.

First of all, all the material is boiled for at least 60 minutes in water, to which vinegar is added. A tablespoon of the product will be enough for a liter of liquid. Then the shells of the mollusks are thoroughly cleaned of sand or the remains of their inhabitants, and also dried. Broken edges it is recommended to process it with sandpaper or a regular nail file. If the color of any shells does not suit the master, then it would be good to tint them with acrylic paint, stain or varnish of any shade before starting work.

Any plywood or wooden board is suitable as a basis for the panel. To decorate the background, a fabric cloth or a piece of burlap is most often used, but options with the use of sisal, decorative mesh or even sand will be interesting. It is most convenient to fix individual elements of the composition with a hot glue gun. The finished work, additionally decorated with beads, feathers, buttons and rhinestones, is placed in a frame.

A panel made of shells allows the master to show creativity with might and main and realize even the most unusual ideas.

Of course, the easiest way is to create some kind of abstract work by arranging the existing stocks of shells and stones in a chaotic order. A slightly more complicated option is the preliminary creation of a certain image, which is then filled with a volumetric decor. For example, from the same shells, you can lay out an image of a flower, seahorse, ship, person, car, tree or seascape. Using glue or plaster of paris sand as a backdrop expands the nautical theme and heightens the reminder of summer holidays.

By the way, the panel itself does not have to be rectangular at all: as a basis, you can take a semicircle, as for a wreath, an image of a sea animal or another geometric figure. An unusual solution is the combination of a shell decor and a wall mirror. The volumetric work looks even more original, in the end it is completely covered with black paint.

In order for novice craftsmen to make a shell panel on the wall with their own hands, they will have to master one simple sequence of actions.

• To create the simplest craft shells of various shapes and sizes are prepared, plywood sheet, glue, acrylic paints, wood frame and accompanying decor such as pebbles, beads and starfish.
• Pre-processed shells are sorted by type and size... It will be possible to give them a more saturated, but natural color with the help of a stain or a strong solution of potassium permanganate. The use of acrylic paints is recommended in the case when the details will not be abstractly scattered over the surface, but combined into some kind of drawings. For example, if part of the shells will represent the sun, they will have to be painted with acrylic paint in a yellow shade.
• If decorative elements are to be glued immediately to the plywood board, it will first need to be sanded for better fixation. In addition, the board is trimmed to fit the selected frame. Seashells, pebbles and other decor are glued with hot glue, either in a chaotic manner or according to a specific pattern or pattern. The finished work is framed with a frame painted with acrylic paint.
• A shell panel looks very interesting, for the creation of which sand is used as a background.... The fixation of individual elements in this case occurs using ordinary plaster. The composition of shells, pebbles, corals, pieces of bark and starfish should first be compiled on a sheet of plain paper. It is necessary to warn that large elements look much better on a sandy background. For the panel, you will also need a ready-made frame with a backdrop.
• According to the instructions, gypsum is diluted with water until the consistency resembles liquid sour cream. The substance is immediately poured into a wooden frame, and all decorative elements are quickly transferred to the surface in a thoughtful order. Each shell or pebble must be lightly pressed into plaster. Next, the surface is sprinkled with sand, all the same with light pressure. As soon as the plaster hardens, the finished work can be coated with acrylic varnish.

The panel looks very elegant, as the basis for which it is used mesh circle that adds lightness to the work. The shells are arranged in such a way that they form the buds of three flowers of different varieties and several insects: snails and a butterfly. Thin silvered twigs form stems, and the leaves are cut out of paper. An ordinary peach seed is used as the core of one of the flowers. The bodies of snails are made of plasticine, and the antennae of the butterfly can be obtained from the vine.

The work, which is image of a fish on the background of the sea. All elements of the panel are attached to plaster. In the lower part of the painting, it is practically hidden under beads and small seashells that form sand, and in the upper part it is only slightly touched by paint to form the sea. The fish itself is also made of shells and beads. Several shiny pebbles - transparent and blue in color - are scattered over the surface of the panel. The upper left corner of the frame is covered with a net, and the rest are decorated with large rapa beans.

Particularly noteworthy is the panel, which is floral arrangement of seashells, decorated in a strict dark wood frame... Such work requires especially painstaking work, since the shells used to create individual elements must look absolutely identical, having the same shape, color and size. Both large and small shells are used in the work. Some of them form open buds, some are closed, some form petals, and others form twigs with miniature flowers, like bells.

For information on how to make a panel of shells with your own hands, see the next video.