Neat!! You must have a good supply of shells over there!Jan

Cool, now you need to build a little platform, for the performing fairies to set up stage!heh heh!

That is very pretty (and time-consuming, I bet!)...do you live near the beach? Will look wonderful behind your garden seat. TFS! Jeanne S.

Very pretty! I just LOVE all the ideas people come up with on this forum!

Marleneann- Your shell curtain is beautiful - I LOVE it!! Did you gather the shells from your area? I would love to do a tropical/Hawaiian garden. You've inspired me. Good job. I would relax in the garden seat any time!!
-Sprout

Yes I live near the beach...however we are not allowed to gather seashells from our beaches. Big fines if caught. I purchased these from the Dollar Shops that get them from overseas.

Oh, that is sad...is there a shortage on shells on your beaches???? Weird law, it seems to me...enlighten me with the reasoning of this law. Anyway, your DS shells are beautiful! Jeanne S.

Did you drill holes...that was always my dilema with shells. We can still collect from our beaches..but they only show up after a good storm.

There is a vendor that used to go to a craft faire in the area and always had strung sea shells and driftwood. Similiar to the piece in the link. My g/f bought plenty from them, especially the pieces that were strung with 3-dimensional copper dolphins...was so pretty. She had used electrical cording for stringing so it lasted a long time in the yard. My big thing was always how to drill?

Here is a link that might be useful:

Jeannie, many countries are not allowed to collect specimens from the beaches any more. I believe Florida has a law on the books as well.
taken from Wikipedia.......
"Empty seashells are often picked up by beachcombers, and collecting these shells is a harmless hobby or study. However, the majority of seashells which are offered for sale commercially have been collected alive (often in bulk) and then killed and cleaned, specifically for the commercial trade. This type of large-scale exploitation can sometimes have a strong negative impact on local ecosystems, and sometimes can significantly reduce the distribution of rare species."

Hope it helps to explain why...

I couldn't have it explained it as well as you did socalliegal.
Thanks!

marleneann, your curtain is lovely! That is a great idea for old seashell necklaces too. I often see them at rummage sales and thrift stores. Or in my bead cabinet! lol Now I just need a piece of driftwood ...

Looks just wonderful Marlene! Looks like it took you quite a while to string all of those as well....I know it will look great with a garden bench too.

Thanks for the explanation!(still too bad for those of us who appreciate nature & wouldn't purposely abuse beach finds!) I pick up driftwood & shells on lake shores whenever possible...a fav adventure! Jeanne S.

Yours is a lovely shell curtain. I would like to look for shells on the beach, too. The same way that I collect rocks where ever I go.
Thanks for sharing. JLily

I did not see an answer to whether you drilled holes in the seashells -- my daughter is interested in possibly making something similar

Seashells can be drilled. I have a friend who made necklaces of shells.

Your shell curtain is very nice, Marleneann. Being near the beach as you are, it is a perfect outdoor decoration. It must have taken a long time to make.

I expect our northeastern (US) beaches will enact prohibitions against shell collecting at some point in the future. It will be sad when that happens.

mmebrady ...yes hubby drilled them with an electric drill.
...and yes...some did break.