Patio Ocean, Beach Decor

Patio/Enclosure Beach, Ocean or Nautical Themed decorating

With Fall here and Winter around the corner, you do not need to give up on Beach, Ocean or Nautical themed decorating ideas for your home, even if you live in a cooler climate where “free time” moves indoors for the cooler weather.
It is also worth considering with Christmas around the corner that nautical or ocean themed gifts often make an unusual or out of the ordinary gift for your friends/relatives that love the sea and nautical/ocean themes instead of the usual fare of candy boxes, etc.
(Please click on the picture above left to enlarge for a better view)

One popular idea that works well is Sea Shell Wind Chimes placed on a covered patio or even an open patio. If you have an enclosed patio, even in up state Michigan for instance you can still add a shell wind chime such as the Capiz, Spiral, or Birdcage/ Nipa Hut (as seen in the patio picture).
Sea Shells such as Pink Murex or Trochus seashells arranged on a ledge or shelf can also add a splash of ocean/beach feeling to your patio/enclosure.

Another thought to add to this room is a Patio Pond.
A simple Sponge Filter such as the Hydro Pond 2 can filter this then add some Platties or Shubunkins to finish off this room. Whether you live in North Dakota or California this can really add a nice touch of the sea to your patio area

Hermit Crab Shells

Seashells; other uses such as decorative Hermit Crab shells and more

Other uses for seashells include for use as Hermit Crab homes.
These popular and relatively easy to keep pets can be “dressed up” with colorful shells such as the one on the left.









Colorful or any seashell can also be used to spice up a coffee table and add a “colorful” ocean/beach touch to your home décor as well.












Here is a source for painted snail shells from India:

Ocean, Beach Decor Displays

There are many ways to display ocean or beach décor for many occasions whether a simple “get together”, wedding reception, or simply to give a room an interesting “nautical feel”.



Some of the simplest ways are table settings such as these:

Here are some simply placed ocean themed trinkets













This type of aquatic themed decor makes a nice conversation piece on a coffee or end table.












Shells Placemats are a nice idea for table settings









Shell baskets make a very simple display, especially for bathroom shelves











Banners such as this that hang on a wall and are excellent décor for a young child or nursery.








You can also spice up a room with large aquatic decals that stick to non porous surfaces such as mirrors or windows.

Seashells in Gel Candles

Seashells are excellent inserts for gel candles. Using some shells of different type, starfish, sand and artificial fish you can create most amazing seascape candles. There are hundreds of different seashells types. Cones, helmets, tritons and conchs are the most popular for making gel candles. All seashells are heat and fire resistant, so you can safely use them as inserts.

You should be sure to learn a little about seashells before buying them, or you can be taken advantage of because of your ignorance of the subject. Often people pay ridiculous amounts of money for absolute junk. For example, those same sand dollars that one can find in droves on the sea shores of the San Francisco bay area are sold for 5, 10, or even more dollars. Of course it is an effort to find them and clean them up, but if you know anything about seashells and other marine products, you should compare your options and make wise purchases.

Experts will tell you that a good conch shell is worth buying. These shells really are treasures of the sea. They are large and suitable as a center point of your candle composition. They also have an intricate and beautiful design. Also you can actually hear the sea in them if you hold them to your ear, which unfortunately would do you no good if your conch shell is inside a candle.

As well as for gel candles, seashells can be found, bought or ordered for all kinds of purposes. Some people use them for decorations in collage. You can also use sea shells to adorn jewelry and clothing, as ornamental soap trays, as wall hangings. They also make excellent wind chimes.

Beautiful seashells that are used in art and home design begin their life as the homes of crabs, clams, mussels, and the like. Many people are fascinated by seashells since childhood. Gazing into that deep blue sea, which could help being fascinated by the intricate and amazing existences of the creatures that live inside it. And in your gel candle seashells will look intriguing and delightful.

For a guide to seashells and gel candles visit Best Scented Candles

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tanya_Turner

Beach/ Nautical Decor Pictures

Here are some pictures as well a recommende sites for Beach/Ocean/nautical Decor:

These sites are worth a look:

Beach Decor

Beach Candle Favors

Beach in a bottle

Ocean Decor Articles

Here are a few Home Decorating ideas and articles I found dealing with Ocean or Beach themed decor:

One idea is to use a hot-glue gun to attach sea shells to accessories including mirrors, lamps, and picture frames. The wreath to the left is made using seashells, driftwood, etc. on a wooden (or even heavy cardboard) frame.

Browse through nautical decor stores to pick up anchors, buoys and crab traps to decorate your home. Wooden floors can be matched to the cabinetry and enhanced with colorful runners. Use fish netting, nautical clocks, rope ladders and brass lanterns to good effect. Use mirrors with nautical frames like ship wheels, life rings and starfish.


Here is very unique article:
Create Ocean Enchantment with Under the Sea Decor

Here is a snip (please click above for the full article):
"Under the waves, where fish swim and play, sea creatures are gathering…for a wondrous birthday! We’ve gathered everything you need to decorate and celebrate in an enchanted world, under the sea."

Beach Decorating and Dioramas for Adults and Kids.

One way to bring back memories of a summer at the beach is through beach themed decorating.I think beach dioramas can be fun for kids too, and a great gift for them to make


I like to start with the bathroom (for me the most obvious room to start with); there you can add pictures, either sketches or framed photographs to the walls. I think enlarging your own picture (especially if it includes the family) looks best.
Towels with starfish, seahorses, seashells, of fish look great. Again, as with the picture, I think it can be more enjoyable for the family if you start with plain towels and wash clothes, then sew on or embroider your own beach or ocean themed designs.
Soaps can also have a beach theme. Place your soaps in a shell container, or even make decorative soap by carving your own designs in them (Ivory soap works great for this).
A fishing net embedded with starfish (or even a puffer fish) hung near the tops of the walls really brings home the beach theme for me. Then there are decorative shell baskets (which are easy to find on-line). These seashell baskets can be placed on shelves or just the toilet reservoir. A final touch to the walls would be a shell night light to add evening illumination to the bathroom.
One more suggestion if one is feeling industrious is the flooring. You can find linoleum tiles that have fish, shells, or anything beach related and place these on the floor to finalize your bathroom.


As for the kids; the shell baskets I mentioned earlier are an inexpensive way to get the kids involved. These baskets usually come with many different seashells that can be used to make all sorts of design, murals or beach diorama.
The diorama is my favorite for kids. Use the shells, some fine sand, maybe some starfish (there are inexpensive dried starfish available on the internet), and even some plastic fish. Use blue plastic film to represent the ocean, cotton balls for clouds, maybe a toy boat too. The little drink umbrellas are great to use as beach umbrellas. You can glue broken shells together to form a reef too. This project could also be used for the kids to make inexpensive Christmas gifts for family members that show a little more thought than the average gift. This a also good project for kids to bring in to “shut ins” that used to enjoy going to the beach.


The garden is where my wife likes to add a little more ocean themed flair. She enjoys the Pangansin shell wind chime with the urchin spines that make musical notes. I personally more like the flowing beauty of a stairway (spiral) shell wind chime.
In the garden next to a hammock or just lawn chairs is a good place to hang the shell wind chimes. You can even construct a more life-like “out door diorama” using a small pond with a fountain head, beach sand or whatever similar is available, again some starfish and seashells and you have your own personal beach space. This can be a little more difficult in colder climates, but the pond can be turned off in the winter, and/or covered with a tarp to prevent damage from falling leaves or whatever else fall and winter bring.


Seashell- Ocean Decor