Our most recent trip to Punta Cana really prepared me for warmer weather and summer. I am always looking for a small shell craft for my large collection of mussels. I have often told you how much I love going on the beach and finding shells. I do this for hours every day. When I came across a Snail Shell wristband on the Free People’s website (Sarasota -shell -shell), I wanted to find a way to make my own easy DIY snail shell bracelet.
Deliveries needed
I used 24 snail shells. The number of shells you need depends on the size of the shells and the size of your wrist. I have tiny wrists. (Of course you could turn this into a snail shell chain if you did it really long)
I use Shark Eye (Neverita Duplicata) moon bowls and northern moons nail (Euspira heros) mussels. The sharks have a dark eye at the top of the tower. And the floor is closed, which means that the shell hole on the floor in the middle of the shell is covered with an uncovered hole in the middle of the bowl compared to the northern Mondensnagel. (Learn more about all mussels)
Here you can see what I mean:
I would also like to make a bracelet with American sludge snails or mud dog -Whelks (Tritia Trivittata) if I find enough in the coming summer.
Video tutorial for creating a snail shell bracelet
I always have a video so that during the project you can see what I did with my hands. If it is not loaded for you in my blog here, you can see it on my YouTube channel instead. It was difficult for me to concentrate on the drilling and to have my hands in the way. Excuse me!
Step-by-step instructions
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Step 1: How to clean the snail shells before use
In particular, snail shells can keep all types of bacteria and even parasites hidden in their spiral shell. You can soak them in peroxide or a water and bleaching solution, but the bleach can discolor the mussels. The coloring of the mussels can also look pretty, which I needed for my tutorial for the sample flowers.
If you cook the mussels, you can avoid discoloration and still achieve the destruction of bacteria and diseases that are hidden in it. Let them dry all the path after cooking or soak.
For example, freshwater and land snails can house parasitic worms that can transmit a schistosomiasis, a chronic disease. (You can read a lot more information about the parasitic diseases of snails)
This should not be scared, just to make sure you deal with you properly. I never had problems with one of the snail shells that I have collected since childhood.
Step 2: Drill drilling holes in the mussels
I drilled with both holes, the hand drilling machine and the dremel. The hand drilling machine takes much longer and is better when your mussels are brittle.
If you are stable like these snail shells, the use of a dremel with a small drill is the faster and easier solution.
I used an old cutting board to drill my mussels. Simply hold the bowl with one hand and the drill in the other hand while slowly pressing the bowl with the rotating drill.
As I already mentioned, I needed 24 snail shells for my bracelet. So drilling can take some time, and the dremel certainly helps to accelerate things safely.
Step 3: thread the shells on the stretch cord
Start wrapping a part of the elastic stretch cord around your wrist to see how much you need and add about 4 inches to be safe.
I connected a small clamp to one end of about two centimeters, so that the snail shells do not slip again while I work to thread them all on the cable.
Slide all the shells onto the cable and wrap them over your wrist to ensure that you have enough shells for the scope of your wrist.
Tips and other ideas for a snail shell bracelet or mussel bracelet
- If your elastic/stretch cable breaks or tears, you can instead add the shells on a wax cable or hemp cable and a macrame slide node closure, instead how I did in my square knot -Arm strap -Tutorial (read the tutorial at step 2: Add the adjustable closure of the bracelet). I will do that if my break. Or you can hang them on a bracelet chain by adding small jewelry rings to the holes and adding the bracelet. I prefer the appearance of the mussels that are lined up.
- These elastic mussel bracelets look good when they stack them with other different shell bractions.
- You could add pearls and other decorations to the stretch cord, but I prefer the look of the simple shells
Where can I buy snail shell braces
If you don’t have your own, there are always great places to buy them. Etsy is always my favorite source to support small companies and shops.
More ideas for shells
Anyway, I hope you liked this little jewelry project.
Bye,
Materials
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Snail shells (or other mussels of course also work)
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Elastic stretch cord for jewelry manufacturers
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Flat protected surface for drilling like an old cutting board
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(Small clamp or office clamp is optional)
Tools
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Micro hand drill or dremel (also known as the tool of the power plant)
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small drill
-
Scissors
Instructions
- How to clean the snail shells before use
In particular, snail shells can keep all types of bacteria and even parasites hidden in their spiral shell. You can soak them in peroxide or a water and bleaching solution, but the bleach can discolor the mussels. The coloring of the mussels can also look pretty, which I needed for my tutorial for the sample flowers. If you cook the mussels, you can avoid discoloration and still achieve the destruction of bacteria and diseases that are hidden in it. Let them dry all the path after cooking or soak.
For example, freshwater and land snails can house parasitic worms that can transmit a schistosomiasis, a chronic disease. (You can read a lot more information about the parasitic diseases of snails)
This should not be scared, just to make sure you deal with you properly. I never had problems with one of the snail shells that I have collected since childhood. - Drill the drill holes in the mussels
I drilled holes with the hand drill and the dremel. The hand drilling machine takes much longer and is better when your mussels are brittle.If you are stable like these snail shells, the use of a dremel with a small drill is the faster and easier solution.
I used an old cutting board to drill my mussels. Simply hold the bowl with one hand and the drill in the other hand while slowly pressing the bowl with the rotating drill.
As I already mentioned, I needed 24 snail shells for my bracelet. So drilling can take some time, and the dremel certainly helps to accelerate things safely.
- Thread the bowls on the stretch cord
Start by wrapping some of the elastic stretch cord around your wrist to see how much you need and add about 4 inches to be safe.I connected a small clamp to one end of about two centimeters, so that the snail shells do not slip again while I work to thread them all on the cable.
Slide all the shells onto the cable and wrap them over your wrist to ensure that you have enough shells for the scope of your wrist. - The end knots
If you have enough shells on your cable, crack the stretch cord safely, and voila, you have a nice snail shell bracelet.
