This project couldn't be easier--all you need are shells, a hot glue gun with glue sticks, and a lampshade! Scallop shells work well for the bottom because they create a nice scalloped edge but also because they come in so many colors that look nice when the lamp is on.
I used scallop shells around the bottom of the shade, accented with spiny jewel box shells in between. On the top, I used buttercup clam shells because they are nearly translucent and have a warm pale yellow color, with small cowries in between for added interest.
Here's a trick for determining how many shells you'll need to go around the lampshade:
Place the shade on its side on a table and find a point on the inside of the shade that you will remember, like the seam. Put a shell on the table at that spot and roll the shade in a straight line until that point is flat on the table again. Place another shell at the new point and then fill in between the two shells, spacing them as you plan to on the shade. That's about how many shells you'll need to go around the shade, give or take a shell or two.
This works for the top or the bottom of the shade. If you want to add an accent row of shells, just place them in between or above the others however you like. Then glue the shells to the shade with hot glue.
Resources Shell Chic: The ultimate guide to decorating your home with seashells
by Marlene Hurley Marshall
Storey Books, 2002
Order this title from Amazon.com.
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