What kind of glue to glue the shells on the frame. Overview of adhesives for decorative work. Seashell care

Keeping shells as a reminder of carefree days on the beach is best in the form of interior items, jewelry and souvenirs. After all, they are such a beautiful, completely free, natural and durable material. In this article you will find 50 inspiring photos, 8 ideas and as many step-by-step DIY shell crafts for beginners.

Basic instructions for preparing shells

cleansing

Before you start making crafts from shells, you need to properly prepare them.

• If the shells are “dead” and there are no remains of mollusks left in them, then they just need to be soaked in a solution of water and any chlorine-containing agent (for example, with bleach, “Duckling”, etc.) in a 1: 1 ratio for 30 minutes. If the shells are very dirty, or you want to remove the dark outer layer (periostracum), then soak them longer. After soaking, brush the shells with a brush and rinse in clean water.
• If the shells are "live", that is, they have the remains of mollusks (albeit long dead) and have an unpleasant odor, then they must be thoroughly cleaned. To do this, dip the shells in boiling water for 5 minutes, and then remove the remains of the mollusks with tongs, nail scissors, etc. There is a second way: heat the shells in the microwave for 30 seconds, then try to remove the remains with tongs. If unsuccessful, continue heating the shells in the microwave, checking the result every 10 seconds. Once all the remains have been removed, treat the sinks with chlorine according to the first instruction.

After processing, inspect the shells for chips and, if any, sand them with a sanding block, disc, or sandpaper. If desired, you can give them a shine with clear nail polish or furniture, as well as with oil or fat cream. True, in this case, before processing the shells with glue, the gluing points will have to be additionally degreased with alcohol.

Hole drilling

To make some types of shell crafts (for example, wind chimes, garlands, beads, bracelets and other decorations), you need to drill a hole in them. This task is quite simple, the only difficulty is that the shells can crack or delaminate at the drilling site.

Therefore, remember the main rule: the thinner the shell, the smaller the hole should be in it and, accordingly, the thread / accessories of the decoration.

To make such beads, you need to drill holes in the shells and string them on a silk cord, fixing the location with knots. Further, the ends of the laces will only need to be clamped in the crimp ends and attach the fasteners to them

To make such beads, you need to drill holes in the shells and string them on a silk cord, fixing the location with knots. Further, it remains only to clamp the ends of the laces in the crimp ends and attach the fasteners to them.

There are two ways to make holes in shells - manual and automated.

Method 1. Pick up a drill for a drill, screwdriver or straight grinder with a diameter of 0.8 - 2 mm. Lay the shell on a wooden or plastic board and stick it with masking tape. Drill a hole directly into the tape - it will not allow the shell to split or delaminate.

Method 2. If you do not have a screwdriver or drill, then you can make a hole in the sink with a carnation and a hammer. To do this, first cover the shell with masking tape, put a mark on the inside of the shell, then attach a carnation and gently tap it with a hammer several times to make the initial hole. Next, expand the hole by moving the same nail back and forth inside it until you reach the desired diameter.

If neither a nail nor a hammer was at hand, then use an ordinary needle, nail scissors or a knife and “drill” the hole manually. The result will appear in about 10 minutes.

Idea 1. We encrust frames, frames and frames

Shells can be used to decorate the frame of a mirror, picture or photo frame. We present examples of such crafts in the following selection (scroll the photo to the right).

Today we offer you to decorate a frame for a mirror with shells, but by the same principle you can decorate any photo frame or picture frame.

Materials:

• Small, medium and large shells and, if desired, additional decorations (eg, starfish, pearls, skate figures, etc.).
• Glue gun and a few sticks of glue or clear epoxy.
• Newspaper or any unnecessary paper to protect the mirror from glue.
• Masking or regular tape.

Instruction:

Step 1. Protect the mirror with paper by securing it with masking tape. At this stage, the frame can be painted if its original appearance does not suit you.

Step 2. Sort the shells by size to make it easier to create a future composition.

Step 3. First, glue the first row of small or medium shells (about the same size) around the mirror.

Step 4. Now start gluing the largest shells. Beforehand, you can play with the layout options and choose the best one. If you are using epoxy, then after all the parts are glued, leave the frame to dry overnight.

Idea 2. We make a Valentine panel

From the collection of shells of different shapes and sizes, you can make a panel in the form of a Valentine. However, you can cut out any other shape from cardboard / plywood, say, the same seahorse or a letter.

Materials:

• Glue gun or any strong adhesive;
• Collection of river and sea shells;
• Cardboard;
• Scissors;
• Leg-split.

Instruction:

Step 1. Cut out the base for the heart-shaped panel from cardboard.

Step 2. Use a knife or awl to make two holes for the twine.

Step 3. Start gluing the shells, trying to leave minimal gaps between them. Leave the loop holes open.

Step 4. Cut the twine to the desired length, thread the two ends of the rope through the holes from the inside of the panel and tie into double knots.

In the next video, you can see a visual master class on making crafts from shells with your own hands in the form of a valentine panel.

Below are other ideas for creating a panel of shells.

Idea 3. "Write" a picture on canvas

And here is another idea for creating a wall craft from shells.

Materials:

• Canvas on a stretcher;
• Shells;
• Glue gun or other strong adhesive, for example, "Moment";
• Template or stencil of the desired design, printed on paper;
• Acrylic paint for background (optional)
• Brush (optional)

Instruction:

1. If you want to repeat the idea of ​​​​the painting of this master class, then first create a background for the composition of shells. To do this, use a brush and acrylic paint of the desired color. Wait for the background to dry before moving on to the next step.
2. Fix the template or stencil to the canvas with masking tape, and then trace its outlines with a pencil.
3. Start gluing the shells on the drawing without going beyond its borders.

Also see our other articles:

Idea 4. We cook candles for mini-candlesticks

Shells are almost finished miniature candlesticks that are just waiting to be supplemented with paraffin wax and a wick. You can use the resulting candles for table setting, a romantic picnic or just for decorating the interior.

Materials:

1. Sea or large river shells;
2. Small round candles in tin molds;
3. Water and a saucepan for a water bath;
4. PVA glue or double sided tape.

Instruction:

Step 1. Remove the candle itself from the tin container, and then remove the wick from it by pulling the metal base at the bottom of the candle (see photo). Set aside the wicks and return the candles to their molds.

Step 2. Glue each wick on double-sided tape or PVA glue in the center of the shell.

Step 3. Now we need to melt the paraffin to a completely liquid state. You can do this in three ways:

1. Bring the water in a saucepan to a boil, then lower the heat so that the water stops boiling, and lower the molds into it.
2. Put the candles on the stove, heated to the minimum heat, and make sure that the paraffin does not burn.
3. Warm up the wax with a hair dryer.

Step 4. As soon as the paraffin is melted, remove the molds from the heat and proceed to filling the shells. It is best to use any tongs or a pair of Chinese sticks for this. Remember to protect the table surface with newspaper beforehand.

• If the shells are already too unstable, and you are afraid that the paraffin will harden unevenly, then it is better to spread the candles into the cells of the egg packaging or fix, for example, with soft plasticine that does not leave marks.

After about 20 minutes, the paraffin will completely harden, and you can enjoy the light of candles from shells.

Idea 5. Making a marine-style topiary

Topiary is a small ornament in the form of a tree in a pot. You can learn the principles of making topiary from shells with your own hands in our master class or from the following video lesson.

And in this selection of photos you can get ideas for decorating a topiary from shells with your own hands in a traditional round shape or in the form of a Christmas tree.

Idea 6. We make a flower candlestick

If you have enough bivalve shells, you can make beautiful flower-shaped candle holders out of them.

Today we propose to make just such a craft from mussel shells.

Materials:

• Shells of bivalves;
• Any round base of small diameter;
• Glue gun;
• PVA glue (optional)
• Glitter (optional).

Instruction:

Step 1. Prepare the shells - wash them with soap, remove the remains of organic matter and, if desired, bleach them with chlorine-containing products (see instructions at the beginning of the article).

Step 2: Paint the round base of the candlestick in a neutral color such as white.

Step 3. While the base dries, sort your sink set by size.

Step 4. Start gluing 1 row of shells on the sides of the base with hot glue.

Step 5. When the first row dries a little, start creating the second row, placing each new shell overlapping the previous one and so that it is between the two shells of the first row. As a result, you will have a layout of two rows of shells in a checkerboard pattern, as shown in the photo.

Step 6. Glue the third and all subsequent rows according to the same principle, but not on the base, but on the joints of the shells of the previous row (the place is marked with an arrow in the photo below).

Step 7 When you have glued the last row, inspect the candlestick and add one or two more rows where you think it is needed.

Step 8. Hooray, the shell candle holder is ready! If desired, you can additionally decorate it with sparkles. For this you need to do the following:

• Treat the shells with PVA glue inside or only around the edges.
• Sprinkle glitter generously on the craft, let the glue dry, and then shake off the excess.

Idea 7. Create wind music

Shells are an ideal material for making wind chimes, because the “chime” of such sea bells is very pleasant to the ear.

Materials:

• Twine, fishing line or any thread.
• Twig or wooden stick.
• Scissors.
• Hot glue gun or tool for drilling small holes (drill with a 2 mm drill or just a needle and nail scissors).
• Shells.

In almost every needlework technique, glue is used at one stage or another. Since there is a very large variety of adhesives on the market today, the choice of adhesive for decorative work should be approached very carefully, because completely different types of adhesives are used in different areas of work.

When performing decorative work, certain requirements are put forward for adhesives - this is good adhesion to the surface, the adhesive must be transparent and leave no marks and stains, and dry quickly. Also preference is given to glue, which is easy to use, has a sufficient shelf life, odorless and harmless to humans.

One of the most affordable and easy to work with paper is a glue stick. Two or three strokes with such a pencil on paper and we have perfect gluing. The glycerin composition allows the glue to be stored for up to two years. The advantage of this glue is that it does not deform paper, dries quickly, retains its properties at low temperatures, and can be easily removed from skin and clothing. This glue is perfect for scrapbooking, card making, paper collages and appliqué.

Recently, it has been very popular hot glue, which is used in special glue guns. The glue gun is an electrical device, the use of which makes gluing small parts as convenient as possible. A glue gun filled with silicone glue also works behind a similar principle. When working with such guns, you should strictly follow the instructions for their use, and also try to glue the parts as quickly as possible, since the glue dries pretty quickly. The glue gun connects parts from various materials well: plastic, wood, ceramics and many others. Hot glue has proven itself in floristry. The disadvantages in working with hot melt adhesive include, first of all, the fact that it is very viscous and in inexperienced hands the work will be sloppy, although in some cases glue threads can be used as a decorative technique. Also, such glue does not hold heavy elements well and they can fall off.

For gluing rhinestones, there is a special universal glue. It is suitable for working with rhinestones and other small decorative ornaments: glitter, glass beads, pebbles. With this glue, you can decorate almost any base: textiles, paper, wood, glass, stone, foam. Universal glue for rhinestones is very easy to apply, as it has the shape of a pencil. It is moisture resistant, devoid of an unpleasant odor, but it must be protected from too high or low temperatures. You can wash products where glue for rhinestones was used at a water temperature not higher than 30 degrees. The use of universal glue goes beyond gluing rhinestones. It perfectly sticks glass, buttons, pebbles, shells and many other elements on various surfaces.

In many needlework techniques, it has found its application and popular glue "Moment". For decorative works, two of its varieties are most often used: “Moment-crystal” and “Moment-papyrus”. The latter perfectly holds paper, cardboard products, it is highly durable and dries quickly enough. "Moment-crystal" based on polyurethane is a universal adhesive, but it is especially well suited for gluing different types of plastic, but does not work on polystyrene foam, polyethylene, polypropylene. "Moment Crystal" is transparent, moisture resistant, highly elastic. But this series of adhesives has an unpleasant odor that lingers until it dries.

Often used for fast and reliable bonding epoxy adhesives, which are made on the basis of epoxy resins. This adhesive is great for working with metal, plastic, wood, glass, clay, ceramics, textiles, and can also be used as a varnish coating. It should be remembered that this glue, as well as Moment-Crystal, is not used for gluing dishes. It has a specific smell.

widely known PVA glue very often used for decorative work, in particular, in the technique of scrapbooking, decoupage, papier-mâché. It is absolutely harmless, it dissolves well in water. Today there are several varieties of PVA glue on the market: universal, stationery, wallpaper and others. The disadvantage of PVA glue is that it hardens for a rather long time compared to other adhesives, is very sensitive to low temperatures, thickens quickly when exposed to oxygen, so it must be stored tightly closed.

The modern industry, in addition to universal adhesives, offers a wide variety of specialized adhesives that are designed for use only on specific surfaces. So, clerical glue works only with paper, BF-6 glue is produced specifically for gluing fabrics. For materials such as glass, leather and metal, special adhesives are also available. But to give the work brightness and brilliance, they use special glitter adhesives containing sparkles in their composition. Especially often, such adhesives are used to create compositions using the decoupage technique.

Record dated: 9-21-2016

This year, I finally realized my old dream - I made decor from sea shells. I have been collecting shells for a long time - from each trip to the sea I brought with me a certain number of rapanchiks. Everyone was going to start making crafts from shells for the interior, but, as they say, “the fees were short-lived” 🙂 The only thing is that the shells were used to decorate miniature gardens in bowls, the creation of which I am fond of.

This year I was lucky to visit the sea near Anapa, in Art. Blagoveshchenskaya, where we camped on a sandy spit. There were absolutely extraordinary shells - the likes of which I had never seen in my life. They were large, bright, some even covered with some kind of calcareous coating, reminiscent of coral formations.

Of course, all the time of my vacation I was enthusiastically collecting this beauty, with the aim of subsequently making decor from shells. Other shells are smaller, I collected on the Sea of ​​Azov when we went to the port of Kavkaz near Taman to meet a friend from the ferry.

When we were returning from the sea, we stopped at Ikea near Krasnodar and there I bought two wooden mirrors, hoping to decorate them with shells. I started decorating the mirror with my own hands while on a trip - it's nice to do something creative on vacation when there is a lot of free time. For this, I only needed pva glue, shells and the mirror itself.

How to stick seashells to glass

Many people are interested in me - how and with what kind of glue shells can be glued to glass - I will say with all responsibility that it is better not to come up with pva glue.

You need to glue the shells like this: squeeze the pva glue onto the surface (it should be thick and create a layer of 3 millimeters on the surface. Exactly, and not like many people do - just smear the surface with a brush. In the latter case, the shells will fall off almost immediately.

But if you squeeze out the glue in a thick layer, then carefully place the shells in the glue (do not be afraid, this will not hurt the beauty), then they will stick very well. When the glue dries, its layer will become thinner and it will become transparent and invisible. This is how I glued the shells on the mirror. Large orange ones are collected on the Black Sea, and small ones - on the Sea of ​​Azov.

See the shells yourself in macro photography - the glue is not visible at all!

This is the original mirror.

Well, this is how it became after decorating with shells.

The next idea for execution is to make from shells. Fortunately, after the last trip I have a lot of them.