Coastal Beach Crafts – Preserved Horseshoe Crab with Seashells Shadow Box

I love anything and everything that has to do with the beach. I decorate my entire home in Coastal Cottage and Coastal Farmhouse decor. Last weekend I made this adorable Coastal Shadow Box that features a Preserved Horseshoe Crab, Beach Sand and Seashells that I’ve collected last year while on vacation.

You’ll want to check out my previous blog post to learn how to preserve horseshoe crabs. Please…only pick up the ones that are deceased and lying around on the beach. You never, EVER want to kill them. It’s really easy to preserve them so don’t let that intimidate you in making this craft project.

This is an affordable project for those of you who live at the beach or who will be visiting the beach during summer vacation. Just collect some small seashells, preserve a small to medium sized horseshoe crab and collect a little bit of sand from the beach. I purchased my glue sticks, thin rope and thicker rope at my local Dollar Tree store which saved me even more money!

Preserved Horseshoe Crab with Seashells Shadow Box

Preserved Horseshoe Crab
Small Seashells
1/8 cup of Beach Sand
All-Purpose Craft Glue
Foam Paint Brush
Glue Gun with Glue Sticks
Thin Rope
Thicker Rope
Wood Box
Scissors
Water and Plastic Disposable Dish
Sawtooth Hanger

I opted to let my pine wood box unfinished as I liked the natural look of the wood. Using a hot glue gun I glued the thin rope around all 4 outer edges of my box to cover them. I used the thicker diameter rope to just frame up the box.

Mix up all-purpose craft glue with a few drops of water. Dip your foam paint brush into the mixture and brush it inside your box. I wanted the appearance of a sandy beach. Immediately sprinkle beach sand on top shaking the excess back into your container. I did this over my kitchen sink to avoid a sandy mess. Let dry for 1 to 2 hours. You can just give it a little bit of a sandy coating or add a thick layer, that’s entirely up to you.

Flip your preserved horseshoe crab over and look for some of the flattest edges. You’ll want to use your hot glue gun to add glue onto those edges and adhere the crab to your shadow box. I liked mine off-centered with the tail pointing down into the corner. Arrange it however you like. You need to press it gently into place because the crabs (even though preserved) are fragile. Let dry for 10-15 minutes so that you get a strong bond.

You’ll want to use your hot glue gun and glue smaller shells in a random pattern on top of your sandy beach. I liked the simple look but you could certainly go all out and glue on a lot of shells! I kept mine natural but if you wanted to add some color you could use colorful shells too.

Finishing Touches: I added 2 spiral seashells to the top of each corner by just gluing them directly onto the rope with my hot glue gun. On the back I had my husband add a sawtooth hanger so that I could hang it up on the wall. That’s it, you’re done!

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