If you think of materials that represent Charleston then sweetgrass and oyster shells are probably on the top of that list.  When I was at dinner a few weeks ago I thought about how cool it would be to mix the 2 together some way (I was totally inspired by Haley’s necklaces & earrings she made with sweetgrass for SEWE).  I thought that napkin rings could be such a simple way to add a lowcountry touch to a dinner and started planning…

Oyster Shell + Sweetgrass Napkin Rings

What you’ll need:

• 2 small oyster shells
• Clear sealer spray
• 2 Sweetgrass napkin rings
• Goop

This is a fairly straight forward and easy craft to put together and I had mine done in just a few minutes after work.  I bought my 2 sweetgrass napkin rings at a antique shop in Charleston with Taylor a few years ago, but you can find them all around the area.  I picked out 2 of the smallest shells I had in my shell inventory, which were leftover from the NYE oyster roast.  Flat shells are key for this so there are multiple points of contact between the shell & napkin ring for the liquid cement to attach to.First things first, I wanted to seal in the tops of my shells and give them a glossy finish, so I sprayed my clear sealer on top.  I really like the inside of oyster shells and wanted that side up,  so that’s the side of the shells that I sealed.  You could definitely do the other side too!  I also love the look of natural things, which is why I didn’t paint anything, but you could also customize by painting the shells.

Let the shells dry, then bring them back inside.  Now all you have to do is attach the shell to the napkin ring.  Figure out where you want the shell to be placed and apply a good amount of Goop to the napkin ring – enough to securely hold the shell, but not too much where it’s coming off the sides.

Press the oyster shell on top, then let the cement harden.  Repeat for your other napkin ring.  I leaned the napkin rings up against the side of my Cricut while the glue was drying so the shell stayed upright and wouldn’t shift around.Once they’re dry and the shell is securely in place, you’re done!  Just put a napkin in it and set your table! I’m really excited about how these turned out and can’t wait to make more when I get my hands on more sweetgrass napkin rings.  I imagine a huge dinner table set with these out and it makes me happy! It’s the little things, haha.

Did I mention this was totally free? Yup – this cost me $0.  I had everything on hand, and it only took ~10 minutes total for a cute project. Those are the best kind of crafts in my opinion..