One of the tastiest fresh seafood is the mussel! After you eat blue mussels at home, do not just throw their shells away! These mussel shells are uniquely beautiful, and so they are utilized to make some other useful things at home. 

Their visual appearance makes them ideal for decorations and accessories. They are perfect for artistic crafts for the outcomes are surely spectacular, you wouldn’t believe they can be made into those items!

You can do them yourself which gives you an interesting and exciting arts and crafts experience too. Now, below are 4 things you can make with mussel shells.

[1] MUSSEL SHELL MIRROR

Something that will not waste your mussel shells is a mirror filled with them around! It would be heartwarming to always look into the mirror you have put an effort to decorate! 

If you have plain mirrors, those without other designs on its borders, you can completely cover the sides. If you want to just put them as designs, you can attach just a few in some parts but not everywhere. 

Just make sure that you will design your mirror relative to other designs in the house. From the example above, you can see how it is very much filled with shells, so it’s neat and fit to be hung on white, single-colored or light-colored walls. 

Whatever the shape and size of your mirror, you can do this. A mussel shell mirror is stunning and aesthetic, just perfect for your mirror selfies!

[2] MUSSEL SHELL NECKLACE

People already know pearl necklaces exist, so this time, use some shells! Blue mussel shell necklaces are just so glamorous, especially if you enhance them a bit with paint or shiner. 

With just a shell from the food you just ate, you can save tons of money from buying expensive necklaces! The style depends on your type and on the events you will use them for. 

Mussel shell necklaces are quick and easy to make since you just need the wire or lace and the shell with a hole through it. If you like it simple, you can just put the shell as the single pendant. Meanwhile, if you want to add more beauty to it, you can use beads like the necklaces from the picture above. Of course, don’t forget the hook and lock!

When you have an event to attend, and you need a cheap yet dapper necklace, you can do it yourself in no time! Also, mussel shell necklaces are ideal for events with summer, underwater, seafood or beach themes!

[3] MUSSEL SHELL WALL DECOR

Mussel shells can be made into several wall decorations as you like! Besides being so extra about creating one for your house, you can choose simplicity with a bit of collaboration with other unused things at home or those you are about to throw away!

In the example above, you can see how the wall decor seems voguish, yet old painted woods attached are just used at the base of the shells placed in a spiral formation. With this example, you need to be mindful of the shell sizes, so you will not fail in making the spiral illusion through the shells. 

It seems simple yet chic! 

[4] MUSSEL SHELL CHRISTMAS TREE

In the most wonderful time of the year, the Christmas tree is one of the symbols used ever since. The usual is the green pine tree, but there are different colors and themes too. Red, pink, blue, yellow, white Christmas trees, name them all. But have you heard of mussel shell Christmas trees? 

Well, they are made of mussel shells. Decide on the size of your tree. The bigger you want it to be, the more challenging making it would be. A base for it is essential. For the example above, there’s like a pot where it stands on.

It’s up to you if you want to paint the shells, so they can look uniform and more attractive when they are already built like a tree. No other ornaments are required on it because the tree itself is a masterpiece for your house. The shells’ natural colors are already art! Of course, seal it with a star on top. You can put an artificial star, or make one with mussel shells again!

Certainly out of the ordinary, they are perfect for your love for inventiveness in every Christmas season! 

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FRESH ART

Just with your hands, your ideas and your mussel shells, there’s a lot of lovely and useful things you can make! After taking it as fresh seafood in your tummy, use their shells productively! It’s surprising how far mussel shells can reach when you’re going to create new stuff out of them. It’s fun and eco-friendly as well, so it’s a wonderful thing to do!

AUTHOR BIO

Nicole Ann Pore believes that freshness of what people eat is always important not only because of the experience but also of its health implications. She writes about matters that revolve around fresh seafood and the market industry. Nicole is a daytime writer for Manettas Seafood Market Australia, an online and interactive seafood market allowing accessibility to the highest quality seafood from Australia and abroad.  | Nicole graduated Cum Laude from De La Salle University Manila, Philippines with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Arts.