Personalized Seashell

Here’s a great way for kids to save their treasures from the beach all in one place! Display the final product on a bookshelf or nightstand in your child’s room.

What you’ll need:

• Large shell and several small shells
• Sand dollar or starfish
• White craft glue
• Sponge applicator
• Miniature craft stick
• Alphabet beads
• Sand

How to make it:

1. Squeeze a generous amount of white glue all over the inside of the large shell. Spread the glue with the sponge applicator.
2. For the large item, such as a starfish or a sand dollar, add glue to the back of the item then find a spot on the shell where the item will be fairly flush and stick it in place.
3. Add small shells, pebbles, and anything else you like to the remaining area of the large shell.
4. Cover the entire contents of the large shell with sand. Leave for a couple of hours to dry.
5. Pipe a line of glue onto the craft stick and glue the alphabet beads in place, spelling out your name. Let dry.
6. Gently turn the shell over to dump out the excess sand, lightly tapping the shell. Glue the nameplate to the front of the shell and let dry.

Sand-Filled Bottles

Take a bit of the Outer Banks home with you by making these cool sand-filled bottles.

What you’ll need:

• Sand
• Newspaper
• Wax paper
• Colored chalk (as many different colors as you like)
• Clear glass or plastic bottles
• Stick or pencil
• White glue or bottle cap
• Cutting board

How to make it:

1. Cover the work surface with newspaper.
2. Place a sheet of wax paper on a cutting board.
3. Place some sand on the wax paper. Roll a piece of colored chalk across the sand until the sand is completely changed to that color.
4. Carefully lift the wax paper and gently shake the sand to the center of the wax paper. Hold both ends of the paper up to use it as a pour spout to pour the colored sand into the bottle. You can use a funnel if you find it easier.
5. Use a stick or the eraser end of a pencil to make a few dips in the sand.
6. Repeat these steps until you have several colors of sand layered in your bottle(s).
7. If you have a cap for your bottle, be sure to fill it completely with sand and press down firmly on the sand to compact it. Place cap on tight. If you do not have a bottle cap, fill sand to about ½” from the top of the bottle. Compact the sand with a pencil or your finger if it fits in the opening and then fill to the top with glue and let dry.

Tips:

• You can use small plastic bottles available at your local craft store or empty jars and bottles that you have on hand.
• If using sand from the beach, be sure to sift it with a flour sifter first to remove any bits of debris and rock.

Seashell Critters

Save the shells you find on the beach and make these adorable little seashell critters.

What you’ll need:

• Seashells in various types and sizes
• Hot glue gun
• Wiggle eyes

How to make it:

1. Arrange shells together to form different animals and creatures.
2. Have a parent glue them together with hot glue.
3. Add wiggle eyes to your creatures.

Tips:

• It’s best to position the shells first and decide how you want them to go together before gluing.
• Put cockle shells together to form oyster like creatures.
• For more colorful projects, paint your shells before gluing together.

Summer Journal

Help kids create this simple journal to keep track of the family vacation to the Outer Banks.

What you’ll need:

• Journal or other notebook
• Foam letters (available as stickers)
• Foam shapes (we used flower and sport themes)
• Wiggle eyes
• Craft jewels
• Fabric paint tubes
• White craft glue

How to make it:

1. Open journal and make sure it is right side up.
2. Glue foam shapes onto journal wherever you like.
3. Use wiggle eyes, craft jewels, and fabric paint to decorate however your child sees fit. We glued craft jewels onto our purple journal as well as onto the centers of our foam flowers. We used wiggle eyes to give life to the different sports balls.

Tips:

• Many foam shapes are available as stickers now, eliminating the need for the glue and making it easier for smaller children to participate.
• Foam journals, stickers and shapes are readily available at craft supply stores. You can find them in discount department stores, but selections are not nearly as large.
• If you child isn’t sure how he/she would like to decorate their journal, have them lay everything out on the cover first. Encourage them to move items around until they are happy with their design. Keep the items all in place and glue each one down one by one.

Summer Vacation Stationery

Kids will love this project that allows them to personalize their own letters about their Outer Banks vacation.

What you’ll need:

• Construction paper, card stock or writing paper
• Foam stamps of your choice
• Acrylic craft paints
• Paintbrush

How to make it:

1. Lay paper on table.
2. Choose stamps with which you wish to decorate your stationary.
3. After choosing your paint colors, paint a foam stamp and press gently but firmly onto the paper. Decorate with stamps around the edges; just be sure to leave yourself enough room to write your letter.
4. After all paint decorations have dried you can write your letter.

Tips:

• Foam stamps are available in a variety of shapes and themes at your local craft supply store.
• You can also sign your name by using foam alphabet stamps.
• Use paint pens or markers to add details to animals or shapes.
• Match your stationery theme to your vacation. For example, if you visited the beach, use sea shells stamps, fish and other sea creatures.

Sand Sculpture

Every sandcastle connoisseur knows the frustration of seeing their masterpiece swept away by the waves. Now you can craft a permanent sand sculpture just by using sand, water and cornstarch.

What you’ll need:

• 3 cups of sand (“play sand” from the hardware store works if you don’t have “beach sand”)
• 1 1/2 cups of cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups of water
• Newspaper
• Old cooking pot
• Large spoon

How to make it:

1. Mix the ingredients together in the pot.
2. With the help of a grownup, cook the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly.
3. When it gets thick, take it off of the stove and let cool.
4. Once it is cool, use the spoon to turn it out on the newspaper.
5. Now you can make it into any shape you like, let it dry, and keep your creation forever!

Tips:

• A quick spray of Pam or other lubricating spray helps the sand pop right out of the sandcastle molds. A hole poked into the top of the sandcastle mold also seemed to help.
• To make the sandcastles pop out perfectly, the trick seemed to be packing the sand mixture into the molds tightly and leaving an air space at the open end of the mold and slamming the mold down hard onto the plate….the extra air helps pop the sand right out.

Ocean Bottle

Create your very own ocean waves in a plastic soda bottle and display for all your friends to see.

What you’ll need:

• Empty two liter plastic bottle with lid
• Clear vegetable oil or mineral oil
• Water
• funnel
• Blue food coloring
• Small star fish, shells and other sea creatures
• One tsp glitter
• White craft glue
• Hot glue

How to make it:

1. Wash and dry two-liter bottle and remove all labels
2. Fill bottle halfway with tap water
3. Add a few drops of blue food coloring and swirl around to mix
4. Add glitter
5. Add sea creatures
6. Fill bottle the rest of the way with vegetable oil using a funnel
7. Be sure that rim and cap are dry, then apply white craft glue around the rim. Seal cap.
8. Use a layer of hot glue around the outer edge of the cap for added protection from leakage
9. Turn bottle on its side and gently rock the bottle to create a “wave” inside your ocean habitat!

Tips:

• Use lightweight starfish, shells and other sea creature toys that can float. Test them first in a bowl or glass of water. Find these at your local craft supply store or discount department store.
• Make the ocean any color you choose! Blue is standard of course, but if your child’s room is decorated with red and yellow, go with red food coloring. There’s no rule that says your ocean must be blue.
• Small children will be mesmerized by this creation. They can help make this every step. Let them insert the sea creatures, hold the funnel and help add the tap water. In the steps that may be more difficult for little fingers, have them hold the bottle steady for you while you add the glitter.

Seashell Mobile

Make a great souvenir from your Outer Banks vacation with this seashell mobile.

What you’ll need:

• Shells or other finds
• String
• 2 pieces of dowel rod, about 1 foot length
• Glue

How to make it:

1. Use string to make dowels into an ‘X’ shape.
2. Glue shells onto several different lengths of string.
3. Let dry about a day.
4. Tie string with shells to dowel rods at all four corners and some between.
5. Hang somewhere you, your friends, and neighbors can all see it and enjoy it. It will also give you a chance to tell everyone about your adventures in collecting your treasures.