[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”516″ border_color=”grey” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]The Beach is probably one of our family’s favorite places to hang out, whether it is just to relax, enjoying water sports, building sand castles, or collecting shells.
On one of our weekend vacations recently we gathered a lot of shells. We are planning to do some summer crafts using shells in varies designs, so we took advantage of the shelling activities Sanibel Island offers. With summer here many of our friends will be enjoying the beaches throughout world and what a beautiful inexpensive souvenir to bring home.
The question is; ”How do I transport them home after we gather them?” You have probably noticed that they develop quite an unpleasant odor after the first day. This is just the sea water and the remains of the creatures that once occupied the shells, so you will want to take care of that odor, unless you want some peculiar stares as you go through airport security. 😉 You will need to clean them or put them in an airtight container for transport. I sometimes bring a Tupperware container with me when I go on vacation or some freezer bags. If you have access to a car you can go to the grocery store and purchase some bleach and then * soak the shells in a 50/50 bleach and water solution. You can soak them anywhere from 1hr. or leave them in the solution all night. Be sure to wear Playtex Gloves to protect your hands, as bleach is an irritant. This will get your shells home.
Once you get the shells home you will soak as described in the above paragraph * or you will preserve them. You can preserve them by simply rubbing them down with baby oil or mineral oil. You can brush on Gesso or Modge Podge to bring out the shine. The Gesso or Modge Podge also acts as a sealer if you decide to paint them. What a wonderful rainy day activity for the kids.
If some of your shells have crustaceans on them and you want to remove the little critter, gather these two essential tools, a small screwdriver and a small phillips head screwdriver. If you have any old dental tools they work great for this project. Soak the shell for about an hour in bleach and water this will loosen the crustaceans. Repeat this process even if you bleached them at a prior time, because everything will come off easier if it is loosened. Rinse the shells and towel dry. You can use either screw driver, whichever one looks like it will fit into the crustacean the best, and put the tip into the center of the crustaceans and twist. There is a short video below to show you how I remove the crustaceans from shells.
Until next time, enjoy the good life!
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