DIY Cottage Oyster Shell Craft Garland: Unique Coastal Craft Ideas

Looking for a unique coastal craft to add a touch of charm to your home? Look no further than this DIY cottage oyster shell craft garland! This easy-to-make oyster shell craft is perfect for beginners and can be customized to fit your style.

I decided the beach cottage could use a touch of fall, and after seeing some vintage fishing corks in a shop, a nautical garland would be perfect.

I have been planning to create a DIY cottage craft using oyster shells, and I thought adding vintage fishing corks would make a charming rustic nautical garland.

After browsing for old fishing corks, I soon discovered they were beyond my budget. As a result, I opted to craft imitation nautical corks utilizing wooden beads.

I am thrilled to show you the outcome of this project! The authenticity is simply breathtaking, and I can’t wait for you to see it for yourself.

Where To Get Free Oyster Shells
How To Prepare Oyster Shells for Crafts
- How To Drill Hole in Oyster Shell For A Coastal Craft
How To Paint & Decorate Oyster Shell Craft
How To Make DIY Nautical Corks
- How To Distress Beads
How To Assemble Oyster Shell Craft For Coastal Garland
How To Decorate With Coastal Garland

Where To Get Free Oyster Shells

Oyster shell crafts are very budge-friendly because you can usually get your shells for free.

If you have a Seafood Restaurant in your area, you should have no problem getting free oyster shells.

If you’re a fan of steamed oysters like me, make sure to ask the restaurant to save your shells in a to-go box. And don’t worry if you’re not a fan; inquire with the waitress about saving some shells from other diners.

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How To Prepare Oyster Shells for Crafts

Preparing the oyster shells almost immediately is important to avoid an unpleasant odor.

Begin by adding the oyster shells to soapy water and washing thoroughly, ensuring that all oyster meat is removed from the shell.

Rinse the shells and then transfer them to a bucket filled with 1 part water to 1 part Clorox.

Allow the shells to soak for a few hours to remove any odor residue.

Rinse and place on a surface lined with a towel or paper towel. Allow shells to dry for several days before proceeding.

Wash Oyster Shells to remove any residue of food from the shells.

Soak oysters in a water and clorox mixture.

How To Drill Hole in Oyster Shell For A Coastal Craft

If you plan to use your oyster shells for a garland or hanging coastal craft, it will be necessary to drill a hole in the shell to attach twine or fishing line.

Oyster shells are surprisingly hard. To drill a hole, you will first need a masonry drill bit.

I recommend a 1/8-inch masonry drill bit if you use a heavy-weight jute twine for your garland.

You can use a handheld cordless drill but must be careful to keep the shell steady. If possible, I recommend using a drill press as a safer option.

This small Demel drill press is a perfect, budget-friendly option.

Drill a hole in the oyster shell with a masonry drill bit using a drill press.

How To Paint & Decorate Oyster Shell Craft

Now you are ready to paint and decorate your shells.

After cleaning the shells, I decided the natural organic, pearly surface was perfect for our rustic beach cottage decor. However, to add a touch of glam, I added Gold Leaf Rub N Buff to the outside edge and back of the shell.

To add the outside rim, I added a drop of gold leaf to a napkin and wiped around the edge.

Add gold leaf to rim of oyster shell craft to add a little glam.

The coastal garland looks great with a little gold leaf added to the rim of the shell.

To add color to the backside of the shell, I used a cheap paint brush and brushed the gold left over the surface. I didn’t go for 100% coverage because I liked some of the white shell exposed.

Brush RubNBuff gold leaf to the oyster shell craft.

Although I used the faux cork beads for most of the coastal garland, I attached a gold bead to the oyster shell.

The beads were rubbed with the gold leaf using a paper towel.

To add the bead, attach a small length of jute twine and string a single gold leaf bead at the top of the shell.

Add gold to the small beads for coastal craft

Use jute string to tie shell onto the oyster shell garland

How To Make DIY Nautical Corks

After seeing the vintage fishing corks, I began searching for large beads that were shaped similarly to the corks I had found.

I found these large round beads and a package of large oblong beads on Etsy. They were close in size and style to the real vintage corks.

So this is how to make the beads look like DIY Nautical Corks.

While I worked on the shells, the wooden beads were soaked in coffee to stain the wood.

After soaking for a few hours, remove and allow them to dry.

soak wooden beads in coffee to stain them.

soak wooden beads in coffee to stain them to look like old fishing corks.

How To Distress Beads

Next, to create a distressed cork appearance, I used a knife to damage the surface of the beads.

You can use an ice pick, scissors, knife, or nail to gouge out pieces of the wood.

Once the beads are distressed, add a coat of dark wax to the damaged areas and buff until the beads are smooth.

I think the results look really authentic.

Distress the wood bead and add dark wax to create a faux fishing cork appearance for coastal garland

How To Assemble Oyster Shell Craft For Coastal Garland

Finally, to assemble the Oyster Shell craft, lay out all your beads to get a general idea of the coastal garland length.

Cut the jute twine several inches longer for a tassel and knotting.

To begin, tie a knot leaving the amount of tassel you desire. Start adding your beads to the twine in any order that you want.

String beads on jute twine for a coastal garland

To add the oyster shells, tie the jute twine from the outside around the larger string of the garland. You should tie in a tight knot and cut any excess away. Pull the bead tight around the oyster twine to conceal the knot.