Crafts from sea shells - do-it-yourself mirror decor. DIY shell decor ideas: photo frames, mirror, pots and vases DIY nautical-style mirror

The number of mirrors in each house is different, but it is impossible to imagine a situation without them at all. The functionality of this piece of furniture is beyond doubt. But in terms of aesthetics, not all mirrors look as good as possible. Therefore, if the house has a mirror in the old frame or without it, it is worth trying to fix it. We share simple but effective ideas for transforming a mirror.

1. In a ceramic environment


If the bathroom is planned to be renovated, then the mirror can be mounted directly in ceramic tiles. Fix it to the wall with a suitable adhesive, and then proceed with the laying of tiles or mosaics.

2. With memories of summer


To decorate the mirror, use small river or sea pebbles. It can be glued directly to the mirror with silicone adhesive. If this option is not suitable, cut out the base on which the mirror is glued from thick cardboard, and the upper part with a hole for it. Glue the top part with stones, and then glue both parts together.

3. Original plastic frame


Ordinary disposable plastic spoons become excellent material for decorating a mirror with your own hands. To make the frame look even more spectacular, we recommend covering them with acrylic paints.

4. For the most economic


The frame for the mirror, which can be made in just a matter of minutes, is made from ordinary wooden clothespins. They can be pre-painted. Just attach the clothespins to the mirror.

5. In stained glass style


Such a mirror, reminiscent of stained glass techniques, is easy to make on your own. To apply dark lines on its surface, use special paint for glass or black tape.

6. Futuristic mirrors from the future


To fix several mirrors, you can use a single base. For example, wooden. Just glue the mirrors with silicone glue.

7. Return to nature


Short branches will be an excellent material for decorating a mirror, especially if they are painted in a bright color. They can be glued directly around the perimeter of the mirror or on the frame.

8. Nautical


The frame for the mirror, made of thick rope, will perfectly fit into the interior in a marine style. Additionally, it can be decorated with shells or pebbles.

9. Spring is coming


Artificial flowers will help create a delicate frame for the mirror. Also, the composition can be supplemented with green leaves and fruits. Everything you need for such a mirror decor with your own hands can be purchased at a florist shop.

10. Beads and shells


The combination of beads and shells in the decor of the mirror creates an unforgettable effect. Such an interior detail will harmoniously look in the room of a beautiful lady of any age.


11. A new look at a familiar tree


To make such wooden frame you need a thick branch. It will need to be cut into thin slices, which are then used as decoration.

12. Affordable paper decor


The most affordable and affordable option for decorating a mirror with your own hands is the use of paper strips. Glue paper strips to the cardboard base, and a mirror on top of them.

13. Decor for the kitchen


Cutlery that has not been used for a long time will become an unusual material for decorating a mirror. An ordinary plate can be used as the basis for this composition. Both a mirror and cutlery are glued to it.

14. Mirror for needlewomen


Those who are fond of sewing or embroidery will definitely like a mirror decorated with spools of thread. Just glue multi-colored coils around the perimeter of the mirror.

15. Bright frame from old magazines


Reading magazines can be useful when decorating a mirror. Cut the page into two or three parts, twist each of which into a tube. It remains only to glue the paper tubes to the mirror or frame.

16. New life for an old T-shirt


Cut the knitted T-shirt into several fairly wide strips and weave a pigtail out of them. Then glue it around the perimeter of the mirror, leaving the edges free, and hang it on the wall.

17. Edible decor


Legumes, cereals, pasta can be made into an unusual material for decorating a mirror with your own hands. Apply a generous layer of glue to a flat frame and sprinkle edible decor over it. After drying, we recommend covering the decorative composition with acrylic varnish.

18. Useful buttons


Buttons that could not be used for their intended purpose can become a material for decorating a mirror. Just stick them on the mirror or on its frame.

19. For lovers of an active lifestyle


Old rackets can also act as a frame for a mirror. Finding a ready-made, suitable mirror can be problematic. But you can cut the right size and shape in a workshop that specializes in working with glass.

20. More shine


Decorative glass pebbles are used to decorate a regular frame. You can buy them in stores specializing in the sale of goods for animals. Most often they are used to decorate aquariums.

When the issue of decorating the living space is resolved, it's time to take care of its little inhabitants. For example,

We use shells in decorating.

The original use of shells in the decor.

The shells themselves look very beautiful, so they are often used as a finishing material for all kinds of decor items. That is what this page is dedicated to, in which you will consider application ideas sea ​​shells for home decoration,

See how beautifully you can decorate the boxes with shells.

If you are fed up with a vase, change it by gluing shells with strong glue.

How chic a candlestick decorated with seashells looks!

Shells are also used to decorate topiary.

And another version of a chic candlestick trimmed with craquelure and shells.

Shell panel will decorate any interior! :)

Wow, they even make crowns! :)

To decorate a vase, it is quite possible to use shells to imitate craters.

A pendant is assembled from shells by gluing the shells with hot glue to the substrate.

I want to warn you that before using this decorative finishing material, it must be processed with high quality in order to get rid of bad smell and living microorganisms, and then the shells are polished and varnished.

we study the process of processing seashells collected at sea or purchased in a store:

We soak the finishing material for a day in warm water, after soaking it for 20 seconds in hydrochloric acid, due to which the shells will acquire a bright color. It is important to rinse thoroughly afterwards. Glossy shells do not soak in this saline solution! If you hold the shells in a hydrochloric acid solution for longer, they will become aged and limestone decomposition. I think you understand how important it is to observe all safety measures when working with this solution!

After daily soaking in water, wash the shells, dry and cover with Johnson's baby oil or acrylic varnish on top.

This finishing material can be supplemented with tiny pieces of natural stones, starfish, corals or even coarse sea sand and polished sticks aged by time and the sea.

Before gluing the shells to the surface, arrange them all on the surface and make sure they are in a beautiful compositional arrangement. Shells look beautiful on a background substrate, which uses river sand, pebbles or small shells.

Many masters prefer to use Elmer's multi-purpose glue for gluing shells to the surface. It is necessary to work with the glue very carefully so that it does not come out with its gloss and does not get on the surface of the adjacent shell.

This adhesive dries within 24 hours. After the glue has completely dried, the craftsmen cover the top with a finishing varnish.

Let's continue our tour of original decor trimmed with shells.

All kinds of frames on mirrors and photo frames are often trimmed with shells.

A beautiful brooch in the form of a flower is created from flat shells.


Applications are made from shells on the walls.

And how do you like this idea of ​​decorating a mirror with starfish? :) Beauty!

But it’s not worth applying a mosaic to a shell, since it in itself is a work of art of nature, but it’s quite appropriate to make a plaster cast, then it can be decorated using any technique and even with small shells themselves.

Shells go well with pearls.

Surely after you summer holiday a lot of this marine material has accumulated on the sea, which you now use in an original way for decoration by viewing this page :)

Required materials for a nautical style mirror

  • Mirror (any shape);
  • Starfish, river pebbles, various small shells. If it so happens that you do not have the opportunity to collect such materials immediately near the sea, you can buy ready-made kits in stores;
  • Beads-pearls of different sizes;
  • Adhesive composition (optimally - super-glue);
  • Adhesive paper or bandage.
  • Required Tools labor: scissors as well as tweezers.

How to decorate a mirror in a marine style

1. Before starting work, you need to clean the surface of the mirror with glass detergent, it is advisable to thoroughly rinse the shells, river pebbles, this is quite important point, because the adhesive composition does not hold greasy or dirty surfaces together well.

2. Using an adhesive bandage (or paper), we will make a frame on the mirror.

If necessary, you can also glue the shells on the mirror surface, but the advantage of this “frame” is that it will help you clearly limit the place of gluing (serves as a contour), and in case of an oversight, the bandage is easier to separate from the mirror than very fragile materials.

3. Let's start gluing small shells. First you need to glue large shells on the frame. It is highly desirable that they be arranged symmetrically.

Try not to overload the frame, otherwise it will look overly cumbersome

Before applying the adhesive composition to the material, attach the selected shells to the frame, create several steps back at once, look at the mirror from afar. This will help to determine in advance which shells are much better combined with each other.

Glue must be applied to the shells.

4. Moving from the already glued large figures, we will attach small shells to the frame and, in addition, medium-sized sea river pebbles. Instead of river pebbles, you can also use very light, very flat pebbles, sold in flower shops to decorate potted plants. Don't forget to leave room for the beads.

5. Carefully enough, you need to glue the starfish. The important thing is that they are quite fragile. Therefore, at first, it is much better to glue the stars on an empty certain space, and only then place the rest around them.

6. It remains to fill the empty spaces with small small shells, pebbles, beads. For convenience, I advise you to use tweezers. This will make it easier to apply the adhesive to a small material.

Using tweezers, we will also fill in all the other gaps with beads.

In the same case, if you are unable to fill completely all the empty spaces between small shells (for example, along the edges or even small “holes”), leave them empty - only thanks to the bandage frame they will not catch your eye.

For all those who live near the sea, there is an alternative option - to fill the "holes" with adhesive and, accordingly, pour clean sea mountain sand into them. After some time, when the adhesive is completely dry, you will need to shake off excess clean mountain sand. Another method is to use small rather light beads instead of pure sand, for example, light cream, very light sand color tones.

7. Let's move on to the last stage of decorating the mirror in a marine style. When all the materials are glued to the frame, it remains to wait until the adhesive composition dries. Following this, you need to clean the surface of the mirror, as well as the shells from the remnants of the adhesive composition.

Following this, the decorated frame can also be covered with a completely colorless lacquer composition. However, this is not at all necessary: ​​the varnish composition is needed to strengthen the structure.

Marine style mirror - photo

In addition to the functional mission, the mirror serves as a decorative decoration for the entire interior of the room, regardless of its purpose. Basically, mirrors are purchased ready-made, and the products offered are produced mainly in standard configurations, but you can also purchase a designer thing, but its cost will be quite high.

You can solve the issue yourself by making a frame for the mirror with my own hands or decorate the existing one with the help of improvised materials and personal imagination.

If your imagination is a bit tight, you can always resort to the help of Internet resources, where you can see a lot of photos with options for decorating mirrors.

Mirror Decoration Ideas

Perhaps, almost everyone knows the amazing property of mirrors - the expansion of the space of the room, making it visually larger than the actual size, and the role of a stylish interior decoration.


You can decorate mirrors various materials available in sufficient quantity for everyone. And your indefatigable imagination and great desire will translate into reality any ideas for decorating mirrors, moreover, made with your own hands, which will make your creation truly priceless and unique.

The main field for creativity in decorating mirrors is not the mirror surface, but its frame, i.e. frame. To decorate it, you do not need special knowledge or work experience at all, this process is quite accessible to everyone, the main thing is to have good taste and get creative with the design process.

To decorate a frame for a mirror, you can use: seashells, pieces of broken glass or ceramics, tile fragments, paper, newspapers, jewelry items, mosaic remnants, bamboo sticks, tree branches and much more.


Using broken dishes

It is easy to make a mirror decor from fragments of broken dishes with your own hands. Did your favorite cup or plate break? Do not rush to throw away the fragments, because they can be used to build a decoration for a mirror frame.

Cut the mosaic pieces with the appropriate tool. Prepare in advance a draft of the future creation and a field for creativity.

Glue the mosaic components on top of the workpiece using ordinary glue, small beads and pebbles with mother of pearl will not be superfluous, in addition, you can use other details at your discretion. At the end of the process, it is necessary to grout the frame surface and wipe it with a soft cloth.

Decor with shells

Decorating a mirror frame using shells is as easy as shelling pears, with glue, acrylic-based paints and a sufficient variety of shells on hand. Prepare the surface of the frame in advance, clean it from dust and dirt. Apply glue on top of it and lay the prepared shells in the intended order.

Straight lines, wavy, in the form of circles or bends, and other configurations will look beautiful. Dry the composition for some time, then cover acrylic paint or fix with varnish.

Stone decoration

The frame, decorated with stones, looks quite expensive and stylish. When using glass drops, do not forget that they are quite massive, which means you should leave space around them free. Do not combine stones of different types and textures.

For decoration, the ideal choice would be: smaller than average pebbles, glass in the form of a drop, crystal elements, artificial or natural stones, rhinestones and other materials. As a fixing, use a special transparent glue.

We decorate the wall with mirrors according to the rules

In order not to spoil the wall with future creations, and to make the decor of the mirrors on the wall successful, you must follow certain simple rules:

  • give preference to mirrors of the same dimension, it is better to use products no larger than average;
  • products of non-standard forms, as a rule, are not placed in frames;
  • round or square mirrors it is worth decorating with a beautiful frame;
  • a composition of the same type of mirror frames will look solid, regardless of the size of the mirrors;
  • use no more than 5 mirrors in the composition with a spectacular and stylish frame, otherwise break the harmony;
  • a win-win option would be to use mirror frames that are ideally combined with the whole style of the interior solution of the room.


Photo decor mirrors