Beach Crafts
Taking a trip to the beach soon? Be sure to print off and
try some of these wonderful beach crafts.
Sea Shell Angels
This angel-faced decoration, made by Sea Shell Angels
This angel-faced decoration, made by gluing together three
shells, is truly a gift from the sea.
MATERIALS:
- Sea Shells
- Craft glue or hot glue gun
- Acrylic paint and paintbrushes
- Fishing line
Time needed: Under 1 Hour
- Lay out your collection of seashells. Try different
combinations to get the right shapes, but basically each
angel is made of a medium-sized fan-shaped shell (such
as a scallop, lucina or clamshell), a small, round-bodied
shell (such as a moon, top, bubble or cowrie shell), and
a small bowl-shaped shell (such as an ark, tellin or cockleshell).
- Use a scallop shell for the angel's dress, then glue
on a cowrie shell for her head and a small cockleshell
for her bonnet.
- Once the glue dries, paint on a face and hair and tie
or glue a loop of fishing line around the back of the
bonnet for a hanger.
Tips: If you'll be making angels at the beach, use craft
glue; if you decide to tote your shells home to assemble,
a hot glue gun works even better (parents only).
Variations:
Angels also make great holiday ornaments.
Footprints in the Sand
Capture that barefoot-on-the-beach feeling -- and a record
of your feet -- with this simple plaster-casting project.
MATERIALS:
- Plaster of Paris
- Small bucket
- Freshwater
- 4-inch lengths of string, optional
Time needed: Under 1 Hour
- Choose a site to cast your molds -- the moist, hard-packed
sand near the water's edge works best.
- Firmly press both feet into the sand. The prints should
be about 1/2 inch to 2 inches deep. (If your child can't
press down that hard, he can use his finger to dig down
into the print, following its shape.)
- Mix up the plaster, according to the directions on the
package, so that it has a thick, creamy consistency. Pour
the wet plaster gently into the footprints.
- To make hangers, tie a knot about a half inch in from
each end of the pieces of string. As the plaster begins
to harden, push the knotted ends into the plaster and
let dry.
- After 20 to 25 minutes, gently dig the footprints out
of the molds and brush away any excess sand. Set sole-side
up in the sun for about an hour to let harden.
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