COOL CRAFT, "Seashell Mirror/Picture Frame"

The beach invites collectors of all sorts to hunt.  When I leave the beach with driftwood, sea glass, and/or shells... I am always imagining what I can create next.  Recently, I found this fun craft online.  Although I haven't completed one myself, I wanted to share it with all of you. I have found that creating with shells is great because each and every one is different from the next.  This makes it fun and easy to find the next piece that fits - kind of like a puzzle.  This craft is especially fun because you can be very selective or completely creative when  putting your piece together.  So have fun and if you give it a whirl... be sure to post some photos for us to view!

Tools and Materials
Flat picture frame
Shells
Wood primer (optional)
Acrylic paint (optional)
Pencil
Polaroid camera (optional)
Craft glue (E6000)

Shell Mirror How-To
1. Choose a frame that is inexpensive and flat, as the shells will be glued onto its surface. The frame can be either painted or unfinished wood; if you want to paint it yourself, use wood primer first, then an acrylic paint. The mirror itself can be made by applying silverleaf to the back side of the glass included in the frame, which gives it an antique look that complements the shells, or by having a glazier cut a custom piece of mirrored glass.

2. Arrange the shells on the frame to form a pattern; then, make pencil marks or take a Polaroid picture to use as a guide when gluing the shells in place. Any variety of shell will work as long as the size suits the proportions of your frame. Begin gluing the shells onto the frame with craft glue, attaching the bottom layer of shells in your pattern first. Continue to create your pattern by gluing shells to overlap the first layer. Finally, allow your work to dry overnight.