Make Your Own Beach Shell Necklace | DIY Ideas & Video Tutorials

How to make a beautiful necklace with a shell you found on the beach.

Nothing says summer and beach quite like a seashell necklace, made from a real shell found on the beach. These beach shell necklaces are one-of-a-kind! 

To make a single shell pendant necklace, it is best to choose a good-sized shell. And as the saying goes, every shell has a story. So make a necklace with a seashell that you found on a favorite beach, during a great beach vacation. Make a necklace with a shell that makes you hear and smell the ocean!

Watch the video below to see how to make the pretty bead scallop shell necklace pictured above!

Shell Necklace by FS Designs on Etsy

2 Ways to Attach a Shell to a Necklace Chain or Cord: 

Glue & Pendant Bail:

To make a shell necklace you can glue your shell to a Pendant Bail (Amazon) as you see in the picture above. You can use hot glue, E6000, or expoxy glue. 

Make a Hole in Shell:

To make a hole into the shell is the more common way to make a shell necklace. You can Use a Dremel Tool to Drill a Hole in the Shell, or if the shell is thin enough you can also poke a hole into the shell with a pointy scissor, for example. 

Then use a Jump Ring (Amazon) and loop it through the hole in the shell. You can use pliers to open and close the jump ring. You can also add more shells or a charm to your shell necklace if you want to.

 

DIY Shell Necklace Tutorial by Martha Stewart

To make this mussel shell pendant necklace they chose a bright yellow cord for contrast. A colorful necklace cord can convey that summer feel!

A beautiful painted beach shell necklace idea. Shells look gorgeous as they are, but a painted shell can add a burst of vibrant color and artistic flair to your necklace.

Shop Shell Necklaces on Etsy USA

The cord you use for your DIY shell necklace is a design element in its own right and will give your shell necklace a specific character. Rope cords, for example, will give your beach shell necklace more of a bohemian vibe.

Shell & Peal Necklaces by T & C Jewelry on Etsy USA

Incorporating a bead or a charm into your shell necklace can be a nice touch and elevate your shell necklace overall.

Kalyn Brooke Shell Pendant Necklace DIY

What is a Mermaid Necklace? 

Perhaps you have heard of the term mermaid necklace? I was curious. It's a shell necklace that captures the mythical allure of mermaids by decorating the shell as well as often adding elements like charms, beads, or pearls, for example.

How to Make Holes in Shells

Drill and no drill methods.

Shell Necklace Tutorial by Lovelyetc

Here is another example of a no drill version shell necklace. As mentioned, the shell to make this necklace was Glued to a Pendant Bail (Amazon). 

Shop Florida Shell Necklaces

A selection of Etsy artisans that offer handmade shell jewelry created with shells that were collected along Florida beaches.

Shell Necklace Tutorial by Fave Craft

These summery DIY shell necklaces pieces take ordinary beach shells and turn them into sophisticated pendants with the addition of glitter paint and Swarovski crystal flatbacks. These shells are glued to a bail too, so no drilling required.

You could try a wire wrapped shell necklace as well. This is a thicker wire, but you could use a thinner wire that is easier to shape -Watch DIY Shell Wire Wrap Video Tutorial Below. To wire wrap a shell necklace adds a dimensional design element to the necklace. You can incorporate a hanging loop into the wire wrap to make it a no drill, no glue version of a DIY shell necklace. Original source unknown.

Watch this video and see how easy it is to wire wrap a shell and create a hanging loop!

Another easy and simple way to make a beach shell necklace is adhering a shell to a Pendant necklace. You can look for pendant necklaces at a local thrift store, for example. Original source unknown.

Shop Shell Necklaces on Etsy USA

If you love these DIY shell necklace ideas, you might also want to check out How to Make a Chunky Shell Necklace!

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