Seashell necklace

My favorite seashells are the ones which have been battered by the waves, smashed, carved by sand and worn so thin only the iridescent shadow of their former selves remain. I can't walk along the beach and enjoy the sun -- my eyes are glued to the sand, ready to pounce before the next wave pulls its treasure back into the ocean. I collected these fragile shells without knowing how to use them -- they are so friable, most fall to pieces before I even get home -- then I discovered Sugru.

In case you don't know about Sugru, it is a new and interesting material with many qualities and just a few drawbacks: the main quality is that it's as easy (and fun) to use as play doh, but it also bonds to almost anything, does not shrink when it cures, it remains flexible, waterproof, and dishwasher proof once it cures, plus it is heat, cold and UV resistant. The cons are that it is not food grade (meaning you can't use it on anything which will come into contact with food) and it has a limited shelf life -- a few months, not a few years. This is really too bad, because it would be great to have around for odd repairs. Instead you will need to order it online (I don't think it's sold in stores) when you have a specific project or repair in mind.

For this necklace I used two 5g packs of sugru.

Remove these ads by Signing Up

Step 1: Wire foundation

I cut a piece of thin copper wire about 15.5" long (the precise length will depend on your neck and how big you want the necklace to be). You can use any wire which is flexible enough to bend easily, but stiff enough to hold its shape.

Form it into the proper shape around your neck, then use pliers to make one end into an eye, and the other into a hook.