Make your mother a symbolic ornament for Mother’s Day to let her know that you value her for all she is. This ornament uses a few simple objects to convey a world of meaning.
Supplies
- clamshell
- drill
- pearl beads of various sizes
- seed beads or E beads
- adhesive
- thread
- needle
- paper
- decoupage medium
- clear embossing ink
- iridescent clear embossing powder
- triple thick acrylic spray finish
Instructions for Starting Both Shells
- If the clamshell is from the beach, soak it in vinegar and scrub with a brush to clean it thoroughly.
- Type a motto about pearls and the word Mother, center the motto and make sure the size is suitable for the clamshell that it will be glued into.
- Print the motto and tear it out. If you want it to look aged, soak it in tea for 15 to 20 minutes, then remove it and let it dry.
- Drill a hole through the top of the clamshell (the hinged side). A small drill bit used with a steady pressure should work well.
- Use decoupage medium to glue the motto into the shell. Seal the motto with more decoupage medium.
Instructions for the Wet Shell (See Figure 1)
- Glue small seed pearls along the edge of the shell (the grooves are nice for laying the pearl into).
- Thread a seed bead and a large pearl together. Then run the thread through the inside/front of the clamshell and out the top.
- Thread seed beads until you have a long enough length for a hanger then tie it off.
- Hang the ornament somewhere where you can spray it from all sides and spray it with the triple-thick acrylic finish.
Instructions for the Iridescent Shell (See Figure 2)
- Cover the entire surface of the shell with clear embossing ink and then dust the entire surface with the embossing powder.
- Use the embossing heat gun to melt the embossing powder.
- Thread a seed bead and a large pearl together. Then run the thread through the inside/front of the clamshell and out the top.
- Thread seed beads or E beads until you have a long enough length for a hanger, then tie it off.
About Sample Project
The motto used was “A pearl of great value – Mother.”
More Pearl Quotes
Wisdom is a pearl. – William Cowper
Found one pearl of great price. – The Bible
...he who would search for pearls must dive below. – John Dryden
Pearls lie not on the seashore / If thou desirest one thou must dive for it. – Chinese Proverb
Ideas and Suggestions
If you wish to keep it simple, you could simple print the word Mother on a clamshell and glue a pearl inside the shell.
Melissa Howard - I am a stay-at-home Mom. My college education was in English and History and my last job was as a Technical Writer. Now that I ...
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