Dans Papers - June 1, 2007 - Seashells by the Seashore

She sells seashells by the seashore. Say that phrase five times fast. Not so easy, is it? Luckily, decorating with seashells is a much easier task.

Seashells are the quintessential beach house-decorating tool. Inexpensive, pretty and versatile, shells give a home that casual, relaxed feel that everyone is looking for in the summertime.

If you are planning to decorate with seashells, you can either go the route of purchasing them or you can stay authentic and hunt for the shells yourself on the shores of the great East End beaches. Should you choose the latter option, it is essential that you thoroughly clean the shells or the aesthetic beauty could be lost due to the horrible smell emanating from your newest beach find. To clean a shell with no animal tissue inside, simply place the shell in a 50/50 mixture of bleach and water. Let the shells soak until the flaky covering, called the periostracum, comes off. The amount of time for soaking will vary depending on the quality of the shells. Once the shell is removed, a coat of baby oil should be added to give the shell an extra luminous shine.

Now that the shells are clean, the fun can begin. There are so many simple ways to decorate with shells. They can either stand alone in a decorating scheme, which is particularly true for bigger or more rare finds such as giant conch shells, or they can be employed in a "more is more" philosophy. Shells look great when they are piled up together in jars or vases. Filling a jar with a collection of shells and sea glass is an excellent way to show off your beach-combing skills and it looks quite nice sitting on a shelf in any room.

At a family reunion this weekend, at a house just a three-minute walk from the beach, many seashells were on display. Outside in the garden, a serving tray was filled with shells of all shapes and sizes and placed just off the path. The shells in the garden connected the house to the beach in a subtle, yet pretty way.

But it was nightfall when my cousin's seashell decorating was in full view. She had placed candles in the center of several lanterns and vases and surrounded them with shells, which had a gorgeous effect. Her candles were blue, the most fitting color for such an idea. Her lanterns were several different sizes and so the bigger shells fit perfectly in the bigger lanterns, while the smaller shells were more effectively displayed in the smaller vases. Even if you don't have a large collection of shells yet, you can still adopt the idea by starting with a small amount of sand in the vase and then gradually adding shells after visits to the beach.

If you are looking to add more light to your outdoor entertaining, using shells is the perfect way to transform an ordinary strand of lights into a tailored summer lighting scheme. With the strand on the ground, attach a shell to the base of each light bulb. Apply epoxy to the hinge of the shell and press firmly. Let the shells dry and then hang.

Another great thing to do with seashells, perfect for people looking for a craft, is to take a fairly large scallop shell, about the size of a hand, and turn it into a candle. Buy a candle-making kit at the craft store, follow the instructions and then use the shell as the mold. The result will be a dual-purpose decoration, serving as an eye-catching table ornament and a practical source of light.

You can also turn shells into a vacation memento. After visiting a different beach or at the end of the summer, choose some shells with a flat surface and decorate them with paint. Write the names of the beaches, the date or draw a picture. Then place the shells around the house, or perhaps on the steps of a deck or around a patio. The shells will serve as a great reminder of all the fun you had on the beaches, and labeling your shells will help you remember which shells are from which beach.

And for all those shells with holes that aren't quite perfect for display or painting, create a wind chime. Simply tie several shells on a fishing line and attach about five lines to a piece of wood. Hang in a place where the wind isn't too strong and you've got yourself a perfect little, beachy wind chime.