Do you have a child who can’t leave the beach without bringing home pockets full of seashells and rocks? Here is an easy beautiful craft to make use of all of their special beach treasures!
Supplies:
- Shallow container (pie tin, cookie tray, box lid... any of these work!)
- Sand (bring some home from the beach or grab some from your sandbox)
- Seashells, small stones, seaglass, dried crab shells, small pieces of driftwood, etc.
- Plaster of Paris
- Water
- Bag twist tie
Directions
Pour sand into a shallow container.
Have kids place seashells and other treasures FACE DOWN in the sand to make a design. It’s important that the design is face down, as the final product will show whatever is placed face down in the sand. If your child would like to write their name or any words, they will need to be written backwards.
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Mix Plaster of Paris. You’ll need 2 parts Plaster of Paris to 1 part cold water. For this design, I mixed 3/4 cup of cold water with 1 1/2 cup of Plaster of Paris and had enough to make two wall hangings. You want it to be the consistency of pancake batter.
Starting in the center of the design, pour the Plaster of Paris mixture, making sure to fully cover the design and adding enough for a border around the shells.
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Make a loop with the twist tie, and place the end onto the Plaster of Paris. Cover the end with extra Plaster of Paris to make sure it stays put.
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Let dry completely (it should be set in 4 hours but I leave mine for 24 hours to be safe). Pick up and brush off the excess sand. Hang up and enjoy!
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All photos credit Erika Murphy.
Erika Murphy lives in Westford with her husband and two children. She is employed as an independent college admissions counselor helping high school students with the college application process. When not busy seeking out new activities and outings for her family, she enjoys taking dance classes and photography.
