If you’ve been following this blog you’ll already know that I love to collect seashells and that I enjoy crafting with them. While horseshoe crab shells aren’t something that most people collect, I do! They’re fun to paint and to use in decorating projects inside and outside your home.
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When we’re down at the beach we look for deceased horseshoe crabs that wash up onto the beach. We never, EVER kill a crab. If we find live ones up on the beach, we walk them down and return them into the water. We believe in horseshoe crab conservation and volunteer our time to it.
Once you find a shell you’ll want to clean it out. My husband walks it down to the surf and rinses out all of the sand and debris. If the deceased crab is still occupying the shell, he will remove the body parts and toss them into the water or up onto the beach for the seagulls to enjoy. Rinse the shell completely in the saltwater and carefully carry it back. They’re fragile and crack easily.
As soon as you come back from the beach you need to rinse your shells again with fresh running water. We use a garden hose with a gentle stream. You can do them in the kitchen sink too. Rinse the saltwater, sand and debris off of the shell, inside and out. I like to use Dawn Liquid Dish Soap when gently washing them to help remove sand, debris and fishy odors. Lay them outside to dry or on a towel to air dry.
If you’re vacationing, you’ll want to pack them up for the trip home. Wrap them in towels, paper towels, bubble wrap, etc. Don’t wrap them in newspaper which does nothing to protect them and the ink wears off onto the shells.
To preserve your horseshoe crab shells
Mix 4 tablespoons of Mod Podge in a glossy or matte finish (I like glossy) with 1/4 cup of water. Stir. Use a foam brush to paint the mixture onto the outside of your shelf. Be generous with it. Let dry. Add a second coat. Let dry. Flip the shell over and repeat on the underside. Let dry.
You may have to adjust my mixture measurements above with how many shells that you’re working on. I typically work on 3-4 of them at a time and that amount works perfectly for me. The shells are delicate, so you need to handle them carefully and preserve them as soon as possible. By coating them with the Mod Podge it helps to strengthen the shells.
They are now ready to be decorated. Over the coming weeks I’ll show you some of the projects that I’ve made using my preserved horseshoe crab shells. Some of them are used in home decor projects and others I simply painted the shells with some pretty designs. Fun!!!
If you enjoy painting on seashells or crafting with seashells…you’ll find over 250+ seashell craft projects right here on the Two Classy Chics blog! We will be sharing more seashell craft projects in the future too!
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I think that this shell would be worth the effort. It would be different from other shells in the sea shell crafts.
I remember collecting horseshoe crab shells when I went to the coast with my parents when I was a kid. I so love collecting shells. I can’t wait to see your upcoming craft projects using these shells.
When I was a kid, I found a horseshoe crab shell when my family was vacationing on Cape Cod. I was amazed by it–what a crazy-looking creature! Don’t ask me how, but I was able to get it home without breaking it, and my grandfather took it to his workshop and shellacked or varnished it for me. I loved that thing, and it was one of my most prized possessions for years. It disappeared at some point, but I remember it fondly, as well as how grateful I was for my grandfather’s efforts to preserve it for me. Thanks for bringing back some great memories! Looking forward to seeing what you ended up doing with your horseshoe crab shells.
I’ve always found them fascinating! I never collected them until last year. I now use them as painting surfaces and I’ve turned 3 to indoor home decor accents and I have 1 that I put out by the pool during the summertime. We volunteer every year to help with horseshoe crab conservation. Ps. Your little pkg. from me should arrive any day!
OK, I do not understand why you would want to do this. I would think it would be very fragile and smelly.
People use the empty shells in decorating projects, craft projects and to paint on. I have 2 projects that utilize the empty & clean shells that I’ll be sharing on the blog next month. No they don’t stink as you clean out all of the insides as explained in my post.