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Oyster Shell Mirror

Sea Shells always bring that summer island feel to your home decor.  Growing up on the East Coast we always had an abundance of shells we collected from our shell hunts.  Today I am going to show you an easy way to take those shells make them into a cute, beachy accent piece for your home.  Grab some of those shells from your last beach adventure and learn to make this easy shell mirror. This Oyster Shell Mirror can also be used as a unique candle holder.

Supplies needed to make this project:

  • FloraCraft® Make It: Fun® Foam Disc: 4″
  • Oyster Shells: (27-30) Long and Short
  • Small Mirror: 3″
  • E6000 Industrial Adhesive
  • Picture Wall Hanger
  • Low-Temp Glue Gun and Glue

Instructions:

Trim the foam disc to match the exact size of your mirror. (UPDATE: I found 3″ discs at Hobby Lobby!)

Cut the foam disc in half so it is only 1/2 inch thick.

Before gluing, lay out the oyster shells going around the foam. Lay the second layer on top of the first layer. Once you get each shell where you want it, remove the top layer of shells and lay them out exactly like you had them on top of the first layer.

Generously add low-temp glue to the ends of the oyster shells and gently push them into the foam disc. Leave a small space between each shell.

After you have all of the shells glued for the first layer, turn it over and add extra glue to the back of each shell to secure them to the disc. Turn the shells and disc back over to the front and glue the mirror to the foam in the center.

Lay the second layer of shells over the top layer, extending 1/4 inch over the mirror.  This will hide the edge of the mirror.

Glue each piece one at a time to the bottom shells. I added a few extra shells in between the top and bottom row to fill in any gaps in the bottom shells. Do not glue the shells to the mirror. Gluing the shells to the mirror will make the mirror look messy and hard to clean. Let the glue dry thoroughly.

Turn the mirror over and add a picture wall hanger with the E6000 adhesive. The E6000 adhesive will have a stronger bond to hold the picture hanging hardware to the foam and keep mirror from falling and breaking. Let the E6000 adhesive dry for 24 hours. Clean the mirror and display!

This mirror looks amazing hanging up or if you lay it down it could be used as a unique votive holder.

It’s just such an interesting one of a kind piece of home decor. It’s sure to be a sweet reminder of a great vacation we took with the family for years to come.

 

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