How to Make a Seashell Door Wreath for Summer Decorating

One of the easiest things you can do to decorate your home for the changing seasons it to change out your door wreaths. I personally decorate both my front and back doors as the seasons change. If I had to estimate, 80% of my door wreaths were handmade by me! Making them is so easy and you can tailor them just the way you like.

To save money…I took several beach walks and collected a lot of seashells from the beach. You always want to wash them in warm soapy water using Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. Why Dawn? It does a great job at removing sand, debris, and fishy odors. Rinse clean and air dry. If you don’t live near a beach, you can purchase seashells in BULK from Amazon, craft supply stores, and Dollar Tree.

Tips: I don’t recommend using hot glue. I find that when the temperatures get really HOT around here my shells start falling off. I recommend taking the time to use Gorilla Glue or E6000 Adhesive Glue. Yes, it takes longer to make (glue drying time), but it’s worth it! If you want to paint the shells to add color to them…feel free to do that!

How to Make a Seashell Door Wreath for Summer Decorating

Willow or Rattan Wreath Form
Wide Variety of Different Shapes and Sizes Seashells
2 Large Starfish (the ones I used are 4″ in diameter)
Burlap Pre-Made Bow with Seashell Print
Gorilla Glue or E6000 Adhesive
Acrylic Spray Sealer in a Matte Finish

Now it’s time to decorate the wreath. You’ll want to place some of the shells within the woven part of the wreath and others glued on top of it. I didn’t add any to the back as I wanted it to hang flush on my door. Arrange them in a pleasing to the eye pattern. I used a lot…but not too many to where it would look obssessive. I think I used the perfect amount. I mixed in just a few that were peach or mint in color. I like the more “natural” look.

Once I had all of the seashells onto the wreath I decided to add 2 starfish onto the front. This added more of a focal point and interest to the overall appearance. I took it outside and sprayed it with 2 light coats of a clear acrylic spray sealer in a matte finish. Why? Even though it’s pretty protected from the weather elements, I want it to last. Spraying it helps to protect it from moisture. At the top I added a pre-made Burlap Bow that I had picked up from Dollar Tree last year. It has a shell print and works perfectly with this design.

It took me an entire weekend to make it because I opted to use Gorilla Glue (explained above) and that extra time was well worth it. I really like how it turned out!

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