I love the Outer Banks, also known as OBX.  I have so many amazing memories of OBX from over the years.  Our trip to OBX was always the most anticipated trip of the summer.  We’d rent a house with friends and family and have ourselves a grand time playing at the beach and eating all day.  I was really sad we couldn’t go this summer.  I looked longingly at photos of past beach trips, and remembered that I actually have a part of the beach here with me.  Literally.

Every time I went to OBX, I would spend hours looking for shells.  The worthy ones had the honor of coming home with me.  Over the years, many many shells found a home in large ziplocks on my craft supply shelf.  I always told myself that I would do something with them later, but I think I am mostly a shell hoarder.

Last year I bought my daughter a 3″ x 6.5″ x 5″ wooden box from the crafts store.  I kept meaning to decorate it so she could have a treasure box, but obviously I didn’t get around to it.  This was the perfect opportunity to make her a special box that also celebrated our great love for OBX.

My supplies: hot glue gun, tacky glue, shells, scissors, fabric marker, sheet of felt, ruler, and gloss sealer.

I wanted to line the box with felt so any treasures inside don’t rattle around and break.  I measured the inside of the box and used the fabric marker to mark the felt for cutting.  I like using the fabric marker because the marks will wipe off easily with a damp cloth.  Make sure your scissors are very sharp or else the felt won’t cut cleanly and you’ll end up with a mangled mess.  I actually just got my scissors sharpened at Joann’s the other day, so I was quite excited to slice through the fabric so effortlessly.  I ended up with 2 pieces that were 1.75″ x 5.75″, 2 pieces that were 1.75″ x 4.5″, and 1 piece that was 4.5″ x 5.75″.  Do a test run and make sure the pieces fit before you glue.

I used the hot glue gun for the felt.  I found it easier to put the side of the box I was gluing, down on the table, and glue the box instead of the felt.  Hot glue dries very quickly, so don’t dilly dally, or you’ll have hard clumps on the wood that you’ll need to peel off and redo.

Now for the fun part.  Decorate the box with pretty shells!  If you want to be even fancier, you can also use mini flat marbles, gems, and sea glass.

I used tacky glue for the shells.  The flatter the shell, the easier for it to stay stuck on the box.  I had to reject many a shell, because they were too curved, and there wasn’t as much surface area to glue onto the box.  I didn’t want shells that would pop off easily.  After you finish gluing one side, let it dry for about 30 minutes.  It won’t be completely dry, but it should be dry enough for you to rotate the box and work on another side.  If shells start to slide around, turn it back and let it dry some more before you work on another side.

When I got to the side that opens, I used a thin rubber band to hold the lid and the base together and just shifted the band around to glue shells.

After I finished with the shells, I let it sit overnight to dry completely.   Here is my finished box before spraying with a gloss sealer.

While the sealer isn’t necessary, it does give the shells that freshly washed out of the ocean on a sun soaked beach glow.  I took the box outside and put it on cardboard and sprayed on 4 thin layers.  Make sure you check the breeze.  I got a face full of sealer and my hair got all sticky and the fumes were nasty.  Your box will be ready after sitting overnight.  I actually don’t know how long it takes for the sealer to completely dry, but overnight is probably a safe bet.

Wish I could be, part of that world.

One more thing: I made this seashell picture frame last year with shells from OBX.  The frame is from a crafts store and comes with 3 sheets of clear plastic instead of glass.  I first spread a thin layer of Mod Podge on the wood with a brush.  Then I sprinkled a layer of sand and shook off the extra.  Yes, I also brought a bucket of sand home.  I didn’t put sand on the treasure box since the box will be handled a lot, and sand might come off and make a mess.  After the Mod Podge dried, I glued on shells.  Once the glue dried, I used the gloss sealer to finish.