Overloaded with Sanibel Shells? Some Ideas for you!

We see it time and again with our rental guests, our friends on Sanibel and some times, we too, err on the side of abundance.

The number and variety of beautiful, collectible sea shells on Sanibel begs each and every one of us to do the Sanibel stoop picking up the best of the best and taking them home.  Some of our guests, especially those who fly in, realize the error of their ways and either put the shells back or wrap them up carefully and ship them home.

But even at home, the question nags: What in the world am I going to do with all these shells?  Sure, you can fill up vases, use them as paper weights, clean and shellac the nicest ones to use with table settings, but let's be honest.  You have way more shells than that, don't you.  So the question still remains.

Well, we have the answer for you!

And more than provide the answer, we are going to provide special links where you can get more details.

In a word, it's CRAFT.

And the number of craft projects you can do with Island shells is almost as wide and varied as the shells themselves.

One of the nicest projects we have found on line is that of creating picture frames.  You really have to see it to believe it, in this instance, to get the full impact of what a sea shell frame can look like.  This illustration and tutorial on everything etsy shows you how to create a stunning look with a step by step description.  We are sure you will agree that the finished product would grace the living room, bedroom or den of any home: http://www.everythingetsy.com/2010/06/make-a-shell-frame-tutorial/

With the holiday season coming up, those of you with a steady hand and lots of females on your gift giving list may want to consider making jewelry with some of your more delicate shells.  The biggest challenge with this craft is not breaking those beautiful fragile items in getting to the finished project.  But we think this tutorial will go a long way in helping you create some lovely designs for necklaces and other wearable art with shells:
http://www.squidoo.com/HWJ-Tips-DrillingHolesinSeashells

OK, so now you have a lovely frame for your house, some really neat gifts to hand out, but you still have a few pretty pieces left over.  What about the kids?  This could be a fun project for them, and keep them busy on cold winter day as well.  Just think of the memories and dreams you can stimulate in having them create some little koala bear shells with those orphaned pieces: 
http://www.marthastewart.com/273438/seashell-koalas


Our words of parting advice?  Value your shells but think ahead to what you will do with them.  Shell collecting on Sanibel is one of the nicest ways to spend time here, however, not every shell needs to travel with you.  The beach will welcome them back!