Fun Ways to Display Sand Dollars

Depending on where you live, you may not come across sand dollars often when looking for sea shells on the shore line. Finding a lone sand dollar amongst a sea of clam shells immediately begs the question of how you'll display the oceanic gem in your home. Since these shells have a robust and sturdy structure, they stand up well to most craft projects. This gives you more freedom to experiment with different display ideas without fear of ruining the sand dollar.

The large surface area of sand dollars provides enough room for small paintings. Display your sand dollars as painted art work by first preparing the shell for paint. Bleach the sand dollar in a solution consisting of three parts water and one part bleach. Allow it to soak for several hours and then sun dry. Next, paint a thin layer of white craft glue to seal the outer shell and dry for 24 hours. Thereafter, apply white craft glue to the other side and dry again. Now the sand dollar is ready to paint with whatever illustration you want. Use a small brush to make fine details.

The necklace display allows you to hang your sand dollars wherever you have a hook or rack. Apply a dab of white craft glue, about half the size of a dime, to the back of the sand dollar. Next, tie a piece of string together to form a large loop. Apply the knot on the string directly on the dab of white craft glue and allow to dry. Pick up the sand dollar by the string while holding your hand underneath, just in case the sand dollar falls (this does not happen if the glue completely dries). Hang the sand dollar on any hooks, racks, door handles, or cabinet handles around your home.

If you want to hang your sand dollars on metal pieces around the home (i.e. appliances or furniture), try making the sand dollar a magnet display. Simply apply a small dab of white craft glue to the back of a sand dollar and apply a small magnet. Stick the sand dollar to any metal appliance or furniture when the glue dries. You now have a way to hang your sand dollar without taking up a hook in your house or hammering another nail in your wall.

Fill a shallow glass bowl with various sea shells and place the sand dollar directly on top as a centerpiece. Place the bowl in a visible spot for your family and guests to see. Another variation of this idea involves glass bottles. Fill a glass bottle with smaller sea shells. After filling to the top or using all your smaller sea shells, stand the sand dollar upright on the mouth of the bottle and anchor it down with a small mount of white craft glue. This creates a larger and more apparent display than the bowl presentation, which allows you to place the bottle above cabinets or other low-profile locations around the home.