Serving Tray with Seashells - Quick and Easy!

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This craft looks really interesting and attractive while also being super easy to make! You will only need 7 materials for the project. I was able to complete this tray for under $15, and kept a lovely memory.

For my birthday one year, my finance took me on a surprise trip to Pismo Beach, California. It was a beautiful, romantic weekend and a wonderful memory in our relationship. During that trip, I collected a number of shells and multicolored stones from the beach as a keepsake memory. But what to do with a cup of shells and stones? I decided I wanted to make a tray that used the shells as decoration and found an inexpensive shadowbox at my local craft store which was the perfect base!

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Materials

  • Shadow Box Frame with Glass Front (size of your choosing, make sure there is enough depth inside for your decoration items)

  • Handles with included screws (cheap drawer handles work great!)

  • Decoration Items

  • Hot Glue Gun with Glue Sticks

  • Screwdriver

  • Drill & Drill Bit

  • Clear Nail Polish (optional)

Step 1: Mark and Attach the Handles

Measure and place the handles to the desired position on the sides of the tray. It is best to center the handles on the sides so the tray will be balanced. Use a pen or pencil to mark the holes for the screws. Set aside the handles and drill pilot holes for the screws with the appropriate sized drill bit. Place the handles back in position and attach the screws to firmly hold the handles to the shadow box.

Step 2: Remove the Frame Back and Lay Out Your Design

Carefully fold back the retaining pins for the back of the frame box and slide out the insert. If your box is like mine, then there is a paper or fabric backing already on the board, but if you do not like the way the box backing looks then take this opportunity to change the back with different paper, paint, or fabric.

Remove any labels that came with the frame. Lay the backing insert flat and decide on the arrangement of your items by laying them out on the backing board. When you are satisfied, don’t remove the items - leave them in place for the gluing step!

Step 3: Attach the Decoration Items

Using your hot glue gun and glue sticks, carefully attach the items to the frame backing board. Try to avoid drips or excessive glue, as you are likely to be able to see squeeze-out and it will look messy. Work from one side of the board to the other until all items are attached.

Step 4: (optional) Apply Nail Polish to Add Shine

I wanted my shells and stones to look shiny like they do when they are wet at the beach, so I applied a thin coat of clear top coat nail polish. I found that easiest to do when the items were attached to the board, as I didn’t care if the glued underside was shiny or not. A clear coat of polyurethane or shellac may also work, depending on your items but would be better applied before attaching to the board unless you also want to coat the backing board.

Step 5: Replace the Backing Board & Enjoy!

Slide the backing board back into the shadowbox frame and carefully bend the retaining pins back in. I was happy to leave the underside as-is for the frame, but you could attach a sheet of foam, felt, wood, or cork to give a more finished look to the box if you’d like. The tray should hold up well, but do place things on top carefully as the surface is glass.