Sea Shell Chic

It's been unusually cold and rainy here in Michigan, so I thought what better to do than go to the beach!  Well, not literally!!   But I can dream and imagine being at the beach, though!  I am an "aqua baby", and am happiest when I am by (or in!) the water!

I love shells and shell crafting, and I usually don't bring out my shell things til summer time, but felt the urge today to get them out.  Whenever we travel somewhere warm and tropical, my very favorite thing to do is walk by the ocean, collecting shells.  I could get lost in shelling for hours (and I have!).  I've been shell crafting for a few years now.  It's so fun to make things that bring back memories of wonderful trips!  I thought I would show you how I decorated the antique hutch in our living room today.


I'll show you a closer look.  I love the way these shells and sea urchins look in vintage glass creamers!

And here is a close up of a some of the boxes  I covered in shells. The one above (I've shown you two views of it), started out as a metal recipe box!                                                                                                                                                                                  

 

Of course, everything looks better under a glass cloche, don't you think?!  This sweet pink depression glass creamer was given to me by my Mom several years ago.  This picture frame is my first shell crafting project.  That is hubby & me at Lake Michigan.  I do love our Great Lakes!



This shell mirror took many, many hours, and tons of shells!

These are actually mirrors, but I thought that they would look pretty on our coffee table with votive candles in the center.  They look so pretty at night!  I have had these mirrors since I was a teenager, & tucked them away for years, almost forgotten!  Glad I kept them!  The last photo is another box, which started out as a lidded tin.  For some of these projects, I did supplement with a few shells that I bought at the dollar store, but most were gathered on our trips.  Lots of memories, lots of glue gun burns, too!   I will be sure to share with you in a future post more ways that I use and display shells!  I am linking today's post up with Faded Charm for White Wednesday 
and Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show & Tell Friday 
and Funky Junk Interiors SNS