Ocean Decor, Beach Themed Decorating

Shell Purses and Decor Ideas

2012-01-06T08:38:00.000-08:00

I have been looking into some fun ideas for the neat Shell Coin Purses you can find online (or in your grandmothers things). Not only are they fun, they also remind me of the 20's fashion my great grandmother used to wear. She used to tell me about her shell purse on a chain that was "just darling". I got my hands on some of these shell purses and did not see much use of them as a purse as they are quite small. It was just big enough to fit some cash, coin, and lipstick into. No ID, no credit cards etc...
(I flash to my "purse" which is more like a wallet and toy carrier than a woman's purse. Sad.)

I thought about using them as coin purses and I have to believe, that inside my purse/toy carrier they would break my cell phone before my phone would break the shell, not to mention they are a bit heavy. (Things were made so much better back then!)

Then I remember my grandmothers side table in her bedroom. She used her old shell purses as a trinket hold when she stopped using them as purses. She had her rings and jewelry in it, or just random trinkets she thought to be treasure. Usually treasure the great grandkids brought her.

I thought I would get these for my family as it would be a fun novelty gift. My nieces LOVED putting small "white rocks" and treasures in their small purple cowrie shell purses. They carried them around like the best gift ever. My sisters loved that the large purple clam purse reminded them of our "Gram".

They used theirs on their side table and on their bathroom counter. I used mine for a night out on the town!

Mine was a bigger one, a large Clam Coin Purse with a clasp to hold it closed. It had no chain like Gram's did, I just carried it in my hand. It matched my outfit perfectly, and was a huge hit with the girls.

If you are looking for a fun gift, that may bring back memories, this would be a GREAT idea!

Christmas, Ocean Style; Beach Decor!

2011-11-30T09:53:00.001-08:00

I know some people do yearly themes for their Christmas, so why not do an ocean or shell theme? Shells are readily available, and can make very pretty ornaments on the tree. You can also place Starfish, and even some blue ribbon to signify the water.
Another fun idea is to use an old fish net as a tree skirt. (Maybe over something to actually catch the tree sap)

You can also get a some really cute tropical style Christmas cards to give to your family and friends!

A fun craft project could be to make a shell wreath for your door with a Shell Basket, straw wreath base and a glue gun! Your guests will be amazed at how creative you are when they enter your shell themed Christmas!

When wrapping gifts I would recommend solid colored paper such as a brown or cream. Then instead of ribbon and bows, use some raffia and affix a starfish or shell to the outer wrap with the name tag. It will give a nice clean look under your tree, all the while looking like you picked up your gifts in the Bahamas!!

This would be a very fun and inexpensive alternative to a Christmas trip to Hawaii!

Do you have any other suggestions to brighten your Holiday?

Maybe decorating your Reef Aquarium in a festive holiday motif?

Ocean Bedroom!?!?

2011-07-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

I recently started helping a friend re decorate her bedroom. She loves the serenity that the beach brings, so she wanted an ocean theme. Lucky for her, I happen to have some good ideas every so often, and this was one of those good idea occasions!

   We started with new paint. Her bedroom was painted a flat tan color and since she had only one window it made her room very dark. After what seemed like weeks in the project store, we came back with several paint swatches in light blues to replicate the sky and water of a tropical paradise. We finally settled on a Sherwin Williams paint in "Swimming". It was the perfect mix of light blue but not overly blue or white. This color brightened the room a bunch!

I also looked through my pictures of Hawaii and found a couple of fun beach ones and blew up my favorite to poster size. I then laminated it and placed it behind an old window and window frame and we affixed it to the wall to give the illusion of a window overlooking a beautiful beach setting. I also had some good pictures I had taken of some of the tropical flowers and fit those to different sized frames and hung those as well. She really liked these ideas, and they really brought some feeling into the room!

We looked at ocean themed decor as well. Such as some star fish, fish net, shells, wind chimes, and we even found some great shell nightlights! We hung the net on the wall above the head of the bed in a half folded, kind of wall hanging way and added some of our new decorations and hung the wind chime in the corner. It all started to look very much like a paradise!

   Then there was the bed. Oh how I hated her bed. It was just so blah. It was a beach themed bedroom! It needed some SPUNK! This is where Craigslist comes in, they have everything! I went on a boat hunt. Not a nice boat, but an older wood boat, just wide enough to fit a queen bed into it. I could cut off the bottom to make it work!

   After almost two weeks of searching, I found it! We did have to cut the bottom a bit but it was worth it! (She wasn't going to get a hammock like I suggested!) We sanded it down, and repainted it a deep brick red color with some similar to the room blue, and then re sanded it for a "worn" look. It was perfect! Now to get it in the room! This boat caused us so much trouble! It didn't want to fit in the door, and the shape of the boat made for a VERY tight fit of the mattress! Either way I won the battle, and the boat lost and it's water days are long gone.

Plants are one of my favorite things to add anywhere. Not fake silk plants, but real live plants! We headed to the nursery to find some neat tropical plants for the bedroom. After several hours of questions, and heat stroke we decided on some palm trees, and some other big leaf plants. Once placed in her room, they really finished the look off and made it feel so much like a paradise. I just wanted to grab a book and hang out! This really was a fun project and I would love to work on another very soon!

Coral & Shell Creations; Decorative Lamps

2010-03-31T07:46:00.001-07:00

Coral/Shell Creations by Tideline USA

Tideline a wholesale seashell, coral collectible importer has some new creations utilizing corals and shells that other may consider as a DIY home project or simply contact Tideline for retailers selling these unique creations.
Background; Tideline was established in 1979 as a direct import wholesaler of marine natural history product, and soon became recognized as a leading source for commercial, decorative and collector corals, shells and related marine specimens.

Miguel (of Tideline) is the artist behind these creations, so all credit for these beautiful coral/shell creations goes to him.

These decorative lamps are really cool; simply touch the shells or coral and the light goes on and off!

This is a tabletop decorative seashell & coral creation

This tabletop coral decoration or similar can also be displayed in a display case with UV black lights (UVA), this adds a very interesting mood and often brings out colors that otherwise would not be present in normal lighting.
One can also add a black light bulb to the lamps as well for an interesting mood effect.

Beach and Ocean Themed Decorating

2009-10-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

Beach and Ocean Themed Decorating Ideas: Dioramas, bathroom, garden, beach parties, crafts, gifts, feng shui and more

One way to bring back memories of a summer at the beach, a trip to Hawaii, the Caribbean is through beach themed decorating and crafts for the kids.

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. With bathroom drapes you can even glue small starfish to give a realistic look to the bathroom ocean motif.

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 (my favorite is the Pink Murex). 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.

A wet bar (or even a full bar) can have a nautical theme as well. An authentic fish net (of which previously used fish nets are readily available) can be draped around and/or behind the front of the bar. On this net dried starfish, seashells (such as Spider Conch), etc can be glued or hung on this net to provide a really cool nautical theme to your bar.

One more thought for the home is using shell wind chimes, ocean décor, or aquariums for Chinese Feng Shui. I personally do not believe in this, however without insulting my Asian friends who do, this along with a home fountain is a popular way of achieving this.

For the full article, please visit this website:
Beach and Ocean Themed Decorating Ideas

Patio Ocean, Beach Decor

2008-09-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-25T10:38:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-06T10:54:00.000-08:00

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.

Subtle lighting is often the key to a nice display, whether candle light of subdued electrical lights

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

2007-11-22T11:32:00.000-08:00

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

2007-11-13T16:07:00.000-08:00

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

These sites are worth a look:

Beach Decor

Beach Candle Favors

Beach in a bottle

Shells, SeaShell Ocean Deocr

Ocean Decor Articles

2007-11-08T10:08:00.000-08:00

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.

2006-11-07T15:47:00.000-08:00

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 start with a Shell Night Light, then 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

Dining: Savor San Francisco - 24-Hour Layover: San Francisco - MSNBC.com

2006-09-03T13:30:00.000-07:00

Dining: Savor San Francisco - 24-Hour Layover: San Francisco - MSNBC.com

Including:
*The Best of the City's Fine Dining

*The Best of Wine Country Dining

*Dungeness Crab and Sourdough Bread

*A Dim Sum Feast

*Best Hotel Restaurant

*Best Romantic Spot

*Best Decor

*Best for a Celebration

*Best Wine List

AND MORE

Wooden Cobra and Plastic Seashell display stands

2006-09-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

Ocean decorating brings the sea right to your home, whether it is Shell wind Chimes, Seashell night lights, or seashells around the dining table or picnic.
Ocean decor is great way to remember a trip to Hawaii, the Caribbean, a romantic night out dining on the wharfs of San Francisco, or just a trip to a local beach.

Sea shells also add a nautical theme to your aquarium, chase away cold winter nights, or add beauty to your summer motif.
Most seashells are collected by non-desructive means; these are usually dead shells that wash up on the shore. The same cannot be said for many corals, which is why i personally carry only synthetic coral now!

OTHER INTERESTING LINKS; night lights

Beautiful seashell night lights

Shell Wind Chimes Beautiful Sea Shell Wind Chimes; Add an ocean feel to your garden or home with one of these wind chimes! Stairway (spiral), Capiz, pangansin, jellyfish red, lighthouse and more.

AQUARIUM INFORMATION
A great resource for links to aquarium information, directories, and products.

Shells, Ocean Decor Unique shell night lights. Ocean decor from starfish and puffer fish; ocean jewelry (shark tooth, puka, pahua, pearl); to shell placemats, mirrors, coin purses, nautilus and murex shells and more.

ARTIFICIAL AQUARIUM CORAL AND DECOR. Synthetic aquarium coral, aquarium decor; including castles and plants.

AQUARIUM PUMPS A great place to purchase your aquarium, pond or fountain pumps.

Fish As Pet A Blog about the benefits and rewards of having an aquarium.

SHELL BASKETS -A great alternative gift basket to candy or food. Prices start at $4.59

SHELL NIGHT LIGHTS- Google Groups - A Google group about ocean decorating around the home and garden.