Seashell Art Ideas… Make a Sea Crown

This DIY seashell crown costs very little to make and looks like weathered stone. Its wearer commands the waves and tells them what to do. Make your own.

The next time you’re on a beach, nudging seashells half-buried in the sand with your foot, stop. Pick them up. Rub them with your fingers, marvelling at their smoothness and grit. Put them in your pocket. Fill your bag until it spills over with shells, with the houses of animals that once were. There are hundreds of seashell art ideas on the net to inspire you, but our favourite is this Sea Crown tutorial from the lovely Katty, and you can visit her cosy cove of arts and crafts ideas here.

And now it’s time to make a crown.

How to Make a Seashell Crown

Crowns represent power, yes. But why must it always be power over people? Why not have dominion over the waves instead?

First, make a crown out of cardboard. You can see how it works from the photo. You can go for straight lines or make the hoops lower, like a helmet, but think about the sea as you do it. Organic curves, wavy lines, starfish… Katty’s incorporated ocean elements into her design as shown.

Next, cover your cardboard crown in newspaper dampened with a mixture of flour, white glue and water. The crown will become softened with moisture, so you may want to support it a couple of sticks or a blown-up balloon or an old vase. Allow your crown to dry completely before the next step.

Now cover the entire crown with All-Purpose Compound and let it dry once more. Yes, a lot of drying is involved considering this is a crown associated with the element of water! Again, you may wish to support it with a couple of sticks:

When the crown is totally dry, you can rub it with a wet sponge to smooth the compound and make it look like beached bone… something that once had sharp rough edges, but has now been smoothed by the tides.

Decorate your crown with seashells

Decoration depends on the size of your crown, the size and shape of your seashells and how many of them you have. You’ll know what to do.

Katty, who made the beautiful crown pictured in these photos, says: “I wish you a wonderful day… surround yourself with beautiful things that make you happy.”

You too, Katty. We bow to you like an army of seahorses on the waves.