Beach Keepsakes

It seems I am a collector of sea shells these days.  You can never have too many, right?  Brant will ask, "What are you going to do with all those shells"?  I never know at the time, but I just can't go to the beach without picking up {sally sells} sea shells {by the shiny sea shore on Saturday}.  And the boys are the same way.  Each one is different and unique.  We love going through our collection and thinking back to our beach days.

I typically do not have a beach type décor, but I do decorate for seasons.  And during the summer months it just seems natural to decorate with the beach theme in mind.

So what do you do with all those beach keepsakes??   First you go to your collection of jars.  I save all kinds.  And this is a perfect time to use some.  Some I paint the lids and others I use fabric and Mod Podge .  Then I simply use yarn for the tie and a hand written tag showing the beach and year.  I'll have these out around the house throughout the summer months and come late September they will go away on a shelf until next year. 

Since we already have a pretty good collection of shells this summer the "little things" jar will be for precious little shells.

 

I'll mix the sea shells from different beaches in this jar.  It's my favorite jar!  Little shells are so sweet.  While we pick up sea shells we also come across rocks that have been floating in the water for years.  The shapes and texture are amazing and very unusual.  Another very interesting piece Brant found was a sea bean.

I had never heard of them, but instantly loved it!  You can bet I'll have an eye out for more of these.  Especially since I have seen handmade jewelry made from sea beans. 

And all those extra shells that did not make it into a jar, they are on the front porch in a tin bucket to enjoy.

 

 What ideas do you have for your beach keepsakes?