Shell Craft Sculpture
Project 4 – Dolphins
Introduction
The guidelines of this shell craft project will help you craft a sculpture where you can display your dolphin figurine. Besides dolphins you can also use figurines of whales, orcas, or fish. It is all about what figurine you would like to show off on your sculpture.
Materials
wood base 3" round
scallop seashell with brown markings on the inside
scallop seashell for ocean base
dolphin figurine
glass crab
seashells
pearl
sand
glue, both hot glue & white glue
wood stain
acrylic paints – white & blue
paint brushes
newspaper
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Prepare the Base
You can pick up the wood base at most craft stores. Look for a round one in the 3 to 4 inch size. Most bases you can buy are bare wood and may have some rough edges and a "patina" on them.
Use fine sand paper to remove the patina. Use a medium sand paper to smooth down any rough spots you don't like, then pass the fine sand paper over the smoothed areas to finish them off.
Remove any sand dust. Just wipe the base clean with a damp cloth and let it air dry. Once dry you can apply your wood stain. For this particular sculpture I used a dark stain, mahogany I believe, which I just happened to have a bit of in a can.
You can apply the stain to the whole base or just the part of the base that is not holding the design. That is what I did. The top of the base I left with bare wood.
Pick Out Some Seashells
You will need 2 scallop seashells for this project. The lower, horizontal one will form the "ocean" and the vertical one (hopefully with brownish markings on the inside) will form the "sky at sunset".
You'll need a few seashells to decorate around the "ocean". I used two clam seashells and 4 sea snail (doves) seashells. There is also a small seashell inside facing up holding a pearl in front of the crab. Behind the scallops there is another seashell which helps keep the "sky" from falling down.
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Set up the "Ocean" and "Sky"
Take the smaller of the scallop seashells and use it for holding the "ocean". Place it on the wood base, more or less in the center, with the inside surface facing upwards. This will form the cup to hold the "water" for this shell craft.
Place the larger scallop seashell behind it in a vertical position so the inside faces forward. Place a seashell, seashell piece, or even a piece of coral behind this scallop to provide support. Now use all-purpose glue to cement the smaller scallop in place, then the larger scallop, and finally the support piece. Let dry.
Set up the Make the "Ocean"
Use hot glue from a gun to fill the inside of the small scallop about half way up. Wait for the glue to be almost hard then place the dolphin figurine on top of the glue. Use more glue to fill around the base of the dolphin figurine, then let harden.
Use acrylic paints to put in the white waves and blue ocean water. Paint the hardened glue blue, then use the white paint to create white highlights.
Apply the Decorative Seashells & Crab
Use white glue to cement some seashells of your choice on the wood base. Place them to the sides and even slightly under the ocean scallop. Add a small crab at the front of this shell craft sculpture, also half hidden under the ocean scallop.
Add a pearl if you wish. Place it under the claws of the crab in a small seashell. Alternatively, you can just place the pearl under the claws without the seashell. It all depends on what size/kind of crab you have and the space available.
Apply Sand to the Base
Cover the remaining base with white glue. Use a paintbrush to spread it around so there is a thin layer covering the exposed wood. Sprinkle sand over the wet glue until you cover all of it. Don't worry about extra sand. You can remove it easily once the glue dries.
Protect your Sculpture
Once the glue is dry and the design is secure tilt the shell craft sculpture over and remove the loose sand. Use polyurethane to paint the seashells, coral, and sand.
Do not use polyurethane on the pearl or any glass items. It makes them dull.
The dolphins I used were made of resin and the polyurethane worked well on them. It gave them a nice smooth shine that added to the beauty of this shell craft.
Make another Sculpture
Project 1 – Sculpture with Globe
Project 2 – Fish on Reef
Project 3 – Coral with Fish
Project 5 - Owls at Beach
Return to Shell Craft Sculptures Main Page
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