Beach inspired arts and crafts

Prep time: 20 minutes 

Activity time: 30-90 mins.

I just got back from Fire Island, NY and was totally inspired by the shells and rocks my kids collected on our short beach vacation.  

Painted shells are a cottage kids industry in Fire Island, (ranked with lemonade stand wagons) and I saw some shells that made me look twice.  Some enterprising young ladies added giant googly eyes to their shells to an amazing effect.  My kids will love this!  We can also transfer their love of drawing and sketching on paper at home to painting and decorating rocks and shells during our next beach visit. Pick an artistic color palette for a canvas of assorted shells, rocks and twigs, and your budding artist will be ready to go.

Be sure to add drift wood to your collection.  You may find beautiful found art worth adding to your walls as-is.  Even if you're less interested in adding rustic art to your home, chunky driftwood will provide a nice base for gluing the rocks, twigs, and shells (decorated or au naturale).

You can make great gifts and home decor with this project as well.  Here are some initial ideas:

* Put your treasures into:

     Hurricane candle stands

     Small or interesting fish tanks

     Glass tumblers

     Vases

* Paste around an inexpensive plain, wooden picture frame (or many picture frames to create a vignette on the wall)

* Driftwood!

Note that it may help to visit a craft store for googly eyes, glitter paints, and other ad ons (in addition to the glue and markers I assume you already have at home), as well as giftable items to put them on such as photo frames, cardboard or small wood memory boxes, glass hurricane lamps, etc.