First of all, I seriously can’t get over all the love recently — y’all are great.  I’m specifically referring to all my friends that tagged, texted, or sent me a link to the instagram that Lauren Conrad posted that reminded them of me.  Oyster shells and Coastal Kelder –> Hand in hand.

I actually made a ring holder out of a normal shell for a friend’s engagement last year, but all y’all made me want to make an oyster shell one for myself, and then share the wealth with friends.

Oyster Shell Jewelry Holder, fo’ free

What you’ll need:

• Oyster shell or seashell
• Metallic spray paint

Seriously only 2 supplies.  And it takes maybe 15 min max once the shells are clean, which includes multiple coats and some dry time.

First of all get your oyster shells, wash them off (especially any oyster residue or grime) and let them dry.  Try to choose oysters that can actually hold things, like jewelry, and are more bowl shaped.  I found that some of the Virginia select oysters worked better for this than the local clusters.

It’s kinda weird that I know more about oysters because I craft with them, and can’t actually eat them..

Then get your spray paint and shells ready.  Using cardboard underneath the shells for spray painting is a pretty good idea too.  You don’t want a paint speckled driveway or garage…

I already had some cans of spray paint at the house, so decided to try out a few colors and see which ones turned out best.  I also opted to go the opposite route for some shells, and paint the outside, but leave the inside natural — especially because some of the insides were so pretty with their purple spots.

Basically, I had a few colors, and painting different sides of the shells to see which ones looked best!

Spray a few coats of paint on the shells, letting them dry in-between.  Make sure you get all the lil holes and sides – it’s tricker than you think!  Once you’re happy with the color, let them dry (outside or in a garage).

The teal shell looked the worst, and I ended up just throwing that sucker out.  The gold glitter also ended up being a disappointment, so I turned it into one of my solid gold options.

I knew I’d like the silver and gold options, but the surprise was the can of looking glass.  I use it for mercury glass projects, and I loved how it turned out on the inside of the shell.  It was shinier and more reflective than the others which looked cool paired with the natural outside of the shell.

Everybody loves some GOLD.  I’m not the biggest fan of gold and prefer silver, but I had to make some gold options.  I made two completely covered in gold (shell and inside), one with only a gold inside, and one with just a gold outside.  My favorite might be the gold outside…  What do you think?

And lastly, the silver ones!  I made two with silver outsides, and one completely sprayed in silver, and a touch of looking glass on the inside.  I also barely sprayed the inside of one shell to give it a tiny bit of shine, but still let the natural shell come through.

Which version is your favorite?  I still haven’t chosen one to keep for myself.. but I’ll give away the others to anyone that would like one!  Just let me know 🙂

Did I mention this project was FREE?  Seriously.  The only investment was time, since I had the spray paint already at the house!

Want to skip the hassle and buy one?  I sell these on Etsy!