DIY: Shell Bottle

Summer time for my family means squeezing in some beach time.  It’s no surprise that we seem to always come home with a bucket full of sand and found shells from our beach adventures.  Instead of tossing it away, cherish the memory and bottle it up!  I started a shell bottle collection just recently when we got back from our trip to Seaside, Florida and loved the soft and powder white sand so much I wanted to take it home.  These bottles are perfect for decorations around the house or for a beach-themed wedding.

Here’s what you will need:

• glass bottle with cork top
• funnel or a sheet of paper folded into a cone
• sand
• seashells varying sizes
• heavy duty clear glue
• scissors
• sharpie pen

Take the funnel and pour the sand into the bottle.  I put the sand a little less than halfway, but you can put in any amount you’d like.

Next, drop a few small seashells into the bottle so they rest on the top of the sand.

Once you are satisfied with how the inside of your glass bottle looks, now it’s time to glue a larger seashell on top of the bottle’s cork stopper.  Depending on the shape of the shell, you might have to get scissors and dig a little hole or crevice in the cork so the shell will be more snug in the cork.  But I haven’t had to do that for every shell so it really depends on the shape of the shell.

Then take your glue and glue a nice amount on the top of the cork.  Place your shell on the cork and glue around the shell.  Immediately clean up any spilled or dripped glue.  Find a safe place for the shell and cork to dry.

While it dries, write with a sharpie pen the beach and date where the sand and shells came from.  I used a gold metallic sharpie pen.  Now you have started a shell bottle collection and can add to it each time you visit a new beach!

I like to use mine for decorations around the house but again you can use this idea for any beach-themed party!  Now don’t forget to take-home some sand and shells next time you head out to the beach!