Make a Shell Treasure Chest

—TRICIA SAROYA

Steve Parke

ANY LARGER SHELL THAT IS IN TWO PARTS CAN BE USED to create a lovely little treasure box to hide all manner of mermaid secrets. The one used here is a spiny oyster shell. Don’t worry if the two parts don’t line up exactly. Undersea treasures are not always perfect, and close (and sparkly) is good enough. Remember, this is your creative project; decorate it to your heart’s content!

OTHER TOOLS AND MATERIALS

• Costume or thrift store pearls in various diameters
• Glitter
• Cotton
• A 2- to 3-inch piece of pretty ribbon
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Vintage rhinestone jewelry (optional)
• Tiny shells (optional)

1. Determine which half of the shell will be on top. The bottom piece won’t be very visible, so pick the prettier half.
2. Cut a short length of ribbon and hot-glue one end to the back edge of one of the shells. This will act as your hinge. Now glue the other end of the ribbon in the same place on the other shell, leaving about ¼ inch of ribbon between the shells for ease of opening.
3. Hide the edge of the ribbon by gluing a small amount of cotton to it and adding in small pearls and baubles. Sprinkle glitter for a sparkly effect.
4. For legs, on the bottom shell, glue pearls in three or four places depending on whether you want a tripod configuration or a four-leg style. Start with three or four matching larger pearls, glue in place, and make sure the shell is balanced when you set it down. If not, gently pull off the pearls and reset. Once you get the placement correct, glue clusters of smaller pearls around them.
5. For the top part of the shell, glue more pearls or tiny shells and any touches of bling you might want to add. Sprinkle touches of glitter, or spray the entire shell with glitter once finished.
6. Add a little cluster of pearls at the front lip of the shell to give the effect of a clasp. Make sure the decorations don’t interfere with the opening and closing of the shell.
7. The pattern and style are completely up to you.