Trinket dish
Whether you're steady with a paintbrush or a genius with Mod Podge, any large shell will offer you plenty of real estate to print a pretty picture right on it. Once it's sporting a lovely scene, use it as a catch-all for keys, rings, stray cough drops that fall out of your purse, anything!
Framed wall art
The best thing about DIY is that everything's custom – when you put together an array of small rocks and shells you find at your local beach, the result won't look like anything else out there. Glue your finds onto a mat and fit in a statement frame for a simple but impactful piece of art.
Picture frame
What's the mantle in your beachfront cottage missing? A family photo framed by local seashells! Any old Goodwill frame and a glue gun will do the trick here, so long as you're dedicated to sifting through the coastline to find the perfect-sized shells!
Tea light candles
Mini tea lights add a cute yet minimalistic detail to any beach house – place them around your bathroom, on your coffee table, on the porch railing or anywhere that needs a coastal touch. You'll need candle wicks, glue to secure them to the inside of a shell and, of course, hot wax. If you're really going for it, pick a scent that reminds you of the ocean!
Printed linens
You know when you find that picture-perfect shell on the beach and want to keep it, but aren't sure what to actually do with it? Use it as a stamp! Paint the back of that flawless shell a statement color and mark your tea towels, pillowcases, linen napkins or anything else that can hold paint well with a signature print.
Bookends
Anyone can buy plain ol' bookends, but if you're committed to a project, gather as many oyster shells as you can (we won't judge if you stash the just-slurped ones from the raw bar in your bag) and go in with your trusty glue gun to create a disheveled-ish pile that will beach-ify your bookcase.