Christmas is the best time of the year. This is that very phrase I totally agree with. I adore this holiday since childhood and I start getting ready to it well in advance. Usually, it takes me around a month or so to prepare a new Christmas accessory for the holiday. This has already become a kind of a tradition in my family. It goes without saying that there are lots of versatile Christmas toys and decorative accessories available on sale these days, but I believe that only those items that are made with care, love and warmth create that special feeling of love and family atmosphere that has always been associated with Christmas. This year is not an exception and, although, I’m very busy at work nowadays, I have already made one more accessory for the upcoming holiday. My nephew helped me to do it, so, here it is: the instructable of the decorative shell Christmas tree we have created together.

Step 1: Supplies

Plastic or carton cone-shaped base
Shells of different shapes and sizes
Sea star
Colorful sea stones of different sizes and colors
Decorative materials (colorful beads, chains etc.)
Hot glue gun
Nail polish with glitter
Hair spray with glitter

Step 2: Make a Cone-Shaped Base

Prior to starting creating your Christmas tree, you should prepare the materials first. With this purpose, wash and dry the shells and the sea stones. However, if they are clean already, you can omit this step. Now, you need a cone-shaped base for your shell Christmas tree. If you don’t have the one yet, you can make it from a round piece of carton or plastic. Glue the ends together and cut the extra pieces.

Step 3: Start With the Lower Level

The next step is sorting out the shells by the size. This step is very important. It does not matter what the color of your shells are, but their size will matter a lot. This is because you will need to create a Christmas tree, starting from the lower levels and up to the upper ones. That is why, each level should be of the same size. Starting with the lower level, glue the larger shells to the cone using your hot glue gun. Position the shells as it is shown on the photo.

Step 4: Complete the Rest of the Levels

Continue gluing the shells to the upper level with regard to the size of the shells to make the tree levels look symmetric. Glue the shells closely to each other. As far as the shells are very heavy, you should use enough glue to stick all of them and to make them hold firmly.

Step 5: Attach the Star

As soon as your shell Christmas tree is almost ready, it is high time to attach the sea star to the top of it. This will give your Christmas tree a finished look. If you don’t have a sea star, you can use the most beautiful shell for this purpose.

Step 6: Decorate the Accessory

Decorating the shell Christmas tree is my favorite step. You can use any decorative materials you have at hand as well as your imagination. Personally, I used beads, colorful glass items, sea stones etc. Glue them to the shells as you like. You can stick to the same color scheme or make the Christmas tree colorful. I chose the second variant. For a brighter effect, you can use nail polish or hair spray with glitter.

Step 7: Make the Stand for Your Christmas Tree

The next step of the process is making the stand for the Christmas tree. With this purpose, you can use any cylinder-like item, having decorated it with the accessories you have used, while decorating the tree. I have used three large conches of the same size. I have glued them together pretty well so that they could hold the whole Christmas tree. Wait until the glue dries out.

Step 8: Attach the Stand to the Christmas Tree

The final step is attaching the stand to the Christmas tree. Use the hot glue gun again to attach both parts firmly to each other. Leave the Christmas tree until it completely dries out. That’s it! Our beautiful shell Christmas tree is now ready! Decorate your house with it and enjoy the unforgettable Christmas atmosphere you have created on your own! You can also use this accessory as a perfect handmade Christmas gift! Good luck!