You can use seashell necklaces to remind you of a great time at the beach or on vacation.You can give them away as gifts, or even sell them at a craft fair.Each necklace will have a personal touch, because there are so many different kinds of shells.To avoid having a negative impact on the environment and marine life, never take a shell that has a living creature inside.You should only remove empty shells from the beach if you want to make jewelry.
Step 1: Pick the shells you want to use.
You can choose from a variety of factors, including shape, size, color, and pattern.Feel free to experiment with the shells and necklace style that you choose.If you want to see how the shells will look together as a necklace, arrange them on a flat surface.A medium shell with an interesting shape or color is a good choice for a pendant necklace.You can decorate a pendant necklace with smaller shells, but make sure they match or complement the design, color, and shape of the centerpiece.A necklace with lots of medium-sized shells can either be distributed evenly around a cord or clustered together at the bottom.
Step 2: There are additional decorations you can choose.
Even though the focus of your necklace is the seashell, you can still add other decorations, such as beads, charms, flowers, stones, and other jewels.There are decorations that complement the size, shape, and color of your shells.You need to match the type of cord you use with the adornments.
Step 3: Pick something.
There are many types of cords you can use when making a necklace, and the style you choose will depend on the look you're going for.The necklace won't break if you choose a durable cord.A piece of fine art can be created with a metal chain in gold or silver.
Step 4: You should have your tools and supplies.
You will need a drill with a one-sixteenth-inch drill bit, jewelry findings, and needle nosed pliers to make your necklace.If you don't have a drill, you can use a nail, screw, and hammer.You may need jump rings to attach shells to the cord and a clasp mechanism to close the necklace.If you choose to wrap the cord and tie the necklace instead, the findings are optional.With metal necklace chains, you won't have to worry about a clasp as this will already be attached.
Step 5: Put a hole in the shell.
To string your shells onto a cord, you will need to create a hole in each shell.To mark the spot where you want the shell to attach to the cord, use a marker or pencil.Light pressure can be used to drill a small hole in the shell.Work your way out by drilling on the inside.If you don't have a drill, you can make an initial hole using a hammer.Once you have a small hole, turn the head of the nail or screw back and forth inside the hole until it is large enough to hold the jump ring or twine.
Step 6: Attach a ring to the shells.
If you don't want to use jump rings, you can hang your shells on the cord.The pliers should be used to stretch the jump ring open.To close the ring, loop it through the hole in the shell and use the pliers.You should repeat this step every time you string a shell on your necklace.You can hang more than one shell, charm, or bead on the jump ring.
Step 7: Attach your necklace to it.
To make a necklace with a special accent piece at the center, string this shell first.Use other shells, charms, beads, and jewels to decorate the remaining cord.Leaving the remaining cord empty will bring more focus to the accent piece.The necklace should be balanced, even though it doesn't have to be symmetrical.Balance the large shell with two or three small shells instead of matching it to one side.
Step 8: Close the necklace.
If you want, you can tie the ends of the necklace together.Attach a crimp on each end of the necklace and then add a clasp.Attach the excess cord to the crimp.Pull it tightly so the clasp and crimp don't get in the way of the final bead or shell.As you crimp the metal in place, hold the excess cord firmly.The excess cord can be cut with scissors or wire cutter.
Step 9: You can choose a chain made of metal.
A double necklace has two rows of chains attached to the clasp.There should be at least one to two inches of space between the upper and lower chain.It's a matter of preference if you prefer silver or gold.Something that meshes with your shell selection is what you should choose.
Step 10: Choose your shell.
You will need 10 small shells, three medium shells and one medium conical shell for this project.The shell styles and color choices are up to the individual.The necklace has a cluster of three medium shells in the center of the upper chain and a conical shell at the lower chain.There will be 10 smaller shells around the focal point shells.
Step 11: Take your supplies.
Along with the chain and shells, you'll need 24 gauge jewelry wire, pliers, wire cutter, drill, and 12 jump rings.
Step 12: The shells should be prepared.
Take your conical shell aside.If you want the shells to attach to the necklace, you have to drill holes in them.Use a marker or pencil to mark the spot on each shell where you want it to attach to the cord, then hold the shell against a flat surface and use light pressure to drill a small hole.Attach a jump ring to each of the 10 smaller shells by using the pliers.Don't close the jump rings yet.Don't close the ring if you arrange the three medium shells on a single jump ring.
Step 13: Wrap the conical shell with wire.
Attach the conical shell to the necklace with wire instead of a jump ring to create an added point of interest.Cut a piece of wire six times the length of the conical shell.You can hold the wire in the center by pinching it.A small loop at the center of the wire can be formed by twisting the two pieces together three times.Spread the two wire ends out and position the middle of the conical shell where the twist is.Wrap the wires around the shell at an angle, like on a candy cane.Place the wires around each other three times to secure them in place after you wrapped the shell.The remaining wire should be separated.Pull the tip of the wire back on itself with the pliers.Roll it back on itself after grabbing the folded end.Continue until you reach the twist and there's no more wire to roll.The wire should look like a spiral.With the other wire end, repeat.
Step 14: The shells should be strung.
The conical shell is what you should start with.Attach a jump ring to the wire loop you created and attach it to a single link at the center of the necklace's lower chain.The jump ring should be closed with pliers.Take the three medium shells and place them in the center of the necklace.If you want to close the jump ring, insert it into a single link.The 10 small shells should be repeated.Attach three small shells to the chain on either side of the conical shell on the lower chain.On both sides, place the first shell two inches from the center, followed by the next and third shells.Only two shells are used on either side of the center shells.
Step 15: Seashells are required to obtain them.
Synthetic or artificial shells can be purchased at a craft store or gathered from the beach.Artificial shells are better for the environment than natural ones.Seashells are an important part of the coastal environment.Shell removal from the beach can have a negative impact on the creatures that rely on them.If you really want to collect your own shells, you should only take a couple from each beach and never take shells from highly visited beaches.To make sure a crab doesn't claim it for a home, inspect each shell.Some shell suppliers only get shells from producers in the fishing industry.Buying shells from these producers could have less of an impact than buying them from the beach.
Step 16: The shells need to be cleaned.
Natural shells that are collected from the beach need to be cleaned.A bleach and water solution is the most common way to clean shells.The leathery covering on the shells should be soaked for 30 minutes to 24 hours.When the shells are clean, rinse them with clean water and use a soft cloth or toothbrush to give them a gentle scrub.The shells should be allowed to dry.
Step 17: The shells need to be preserved.
If you want to protect the shine and luster of the shells, you can use mineral oil.Rub a small amount of mineral oil over each shell and polish the inside and outside with a lint-free cloth.Since you'll be using the shells for jewelry, another option is to protect them with a thin coat of varnish.Using a clean paintbrush, apply a light layer of varnish to the inside and outside of the shells.Allow the varnish to dry completely.