Some of the beach baubles found floating around my house.
I was at the Virginia Aquarium this weekend. Passing by the gift shop I saw some beautiful sea glass jewelry. It made me think of all the bits of sea glass I have floating around my house. Whenever I went to the beach in Okinawa, I’d invariably pick up a pretty sea glass piece that would find its way into my pocket and eventually wind up in some car compartment, at home in a vase, or, most typically, in the bottom of my washing machine. My laundry room was a magnet for sea glass.
Occasionally, I actually did something cool with the glass. It’s such a beautiful material and there are so many creative uses for it. Unfortunately, I'm not a particularly skilled crafter. I bet you guys out there have bunches of neat ways you have used your sea glass. But I'll share mine anyway!
Project #1: My most ambitious sea glass project…The Christmas Ornament.
In my mind, I was going to make dozens of sea glass Christmas ornaments to adorn my tree. In reality, I created one. Here it is. Sea glass hot glued to a regular old Christmas ball. Okay, I'll be the first to admit it's not even that pretty. But, I like it anyway. Unfortunately, the ball never made it onto the tree. I failed to take into account the weight of the glass. It would have tipped my tree over. So the bottom is naked. I still use it in decorating though. I just pop it into a dish w/ other Christmas stuff, strategically placed to disguise it's bald spot.
If I were to do it again, I’d use much smaller Christmas balls. Maybe Styrofoam. Or just polka dot the glass on so it’s not too heavy.
Project #2: Sea glass magnets and thumb tacks.
I saw these at a Japanese gift shop and so decided to copy. Buy some cheap-o magnets at the 100 Yen store. Arm yourself with a glue gun and go to town. The result -- pretty refrigerator jewelry and less sea glass clutter.
Project #3: The sea glass hurricane glass.
If I were to do it again, I’d use much smaller Christmas balls. Maybe Styrofoam. Or just polka dot the glass on so it’s not too heavy.
Project #2: Sea glass magnets and thumb tacks.
I saw these at a Japanese gift shop and so decided to copy. Buy some cheap-o magnets at the 100 Yen store. Arm yourself with a glue gun and go to town. The result -- pretty refrigerator jewelry and less sea glass clutter.
Project #3: The sea glass hurricane glass.
This looked a lot more artful until my husband took the candle out and dumped every shell he could find into it. But you get the picture.
Okay, so this isn’t terribly creative. But go buy one of those glasses you put candles and stuff in. They have tons at the Navy Gift Shop. Pop a candle inside and then fill around the candle with your sea glass, coral (that looks really pretty) and/or shells.
Project #4: Kids Nature Dish
I stole this idea from my amazingly creative friend, Shyla. Shyla would put the rocks, leaves, shells, and the stuff her son would invariably pick up on their outings and keep them in a little “nature dish”. It was a special place to keep these little souvenirs of their days out together. She moved and I don’t know if the nature dish moved with her, but I loved that idea.
Project #5: Jewelry
Okay, so I never ever did this, ‘cause I know it would look terrible, but I know there are very talented people on island who will string your precious bits of sea glass into something beautiful for you. What if you took some of your daughter’s glass and made it into a pretty bracelet for her? What a cool gift. The Army Gift Shop I know has several artisans who work with sea glass.
OTHER IDEAS!
Okay, so this isn’t terribly creative. But go buy one of those glasses you put candles and stuff in. They have tons at the Navy Gift Shop. Pop a candle inside and then fill around the candle with your sea glass, coral (that looks really pretty) and/or shells.
Project #4: Kids Nature Dish
I stole this idea from my amazingly creative friend, Shyla. Shyla would put the rocks, leaves, shells, and the stuff her son would invariably pick up on their outings and keep them in a little “nature dish”. It was a special place to keep these little souvenirs of their days out together. She moved and I don’t know if the nature dish moved with her, but I loved that idea.
Project #5: Jewelry
Okay, so I never ever did this, ‘cause I know it would look terrible, but I know there are very talented people on island who will string your precious bits of sea glass into something beautiful for you. What if you took some of your daughter’s glass and made it into a pretty bracelet for her? What a cool gift. The Army Gift Shop I know has several artisans who work with sea glass.
OTHER IDEAS!
*Make a shadow box of your glass/shells with your kids. The frame shop on Camp Foster has free/discounted scrap matting to glue your things to. When I worked there a home school group did that as a project together and they looked really cool.
*Scrapbooking. Add glass to your beach pages.
*Wine tags. Different color/shape for everyone.
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