Real Life Solutions

There aren’t many beach days left of this summer so I thought I would squeeze this fun post in just in case some of you are headed off to the beach before Fall gets here :)

 Sea Shell Angels

1. Lay out your collection of seashells. Try different combinations to get the right shapes, but basically each angel is made of a medium-sized fan-shaped shell (such as a scallop, lucina or clamshell), a small, round-bodied shell (such as a moon, top, bubble or cowrie shell), and a small bowl-shaped shell (such as an ark, tellin or cockleshell). 2. Use a scallop shell for the angel’s dress, then glue on a cowrie shell for her head and a small cockleshell for her bonnet.3. Once the glue dries, paint on a face and hair and tie or glue a loop of fishing line around the back of the bonnet for a hanger.Tips: If you’ll be making angels at the beach, use craft glue; if you decide to tote your shells home to assemble, a hot glue gun works even better (parents only).

Variations: Angels also make great holiday ornaments.

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Footprints in the Sand Capture that barefoot-on-the-beach feeling — and a record of your feet — with this simple plaster-casting project.

MATERIALS:

Plaster of Paris

Small bucket

Freshwater

4-inch lengths of string, optionalTime needed: Under 1 Hour 1. Choose a site to cast your molds — the moist, hard-packed sand near the water’s edge works best.2. Firmly press both feet into the sand. The prints should be about 1/2 inch to 2 inches deep. (If your child can’t press down that hard, he can use his finger to dig down into the print, following its shape.)

3. Mix up the plaster, according to the directions on the package, so that it has a thick, creamy consistency. Pour the wet plaster gently into the footprints.

4. To make hangers, tie a knot about a half inch in from each end of the pieces of string. As the plaster begins to harden, push the knotted ends into the plaster and let dry.

5. After 20 to 25 minutes, gently dig the footprints out of the molds and brush away any excess sand. Set sole-side up in the sun for about an hour to let harden.

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