Did you ever see something in a store that was just so perfect, except for the price? What do you do? Either you forget about it or you make it yourself, right? So when Sandi of Self Confessed Lamp Tramp saw Wisteria's Oyster shell mirror she was inspired, and determined to make one herself.
And here it is! Pretty amazing, don't you think? For a moment though, Sandi might have had crafter's remorse when she said, "Maybe that price of $399 from Wisteria was not so bad. I appreciate the hours of work that went into that mirror!"
Click here to scroll through the posts of how to make this Oyster shell mirror, step by step. To give you an idea: you'll need a beveled edge mirror, a large 1/4 inch piece of plywood, liquid nails, small shells and a big bag of Oyster shells.
Free oyster shells that is. And Sandi knew just where to go, a big Oyster Factory. Warning: the shells are smelly and need thorough cleaning. The process is fairly simple. Cut out the oval shape from the wood, attach picture hangers on the back, then glue on the mirror. After that you can begin gluing on the Oysters ring by ring, outer ring first, letting them hang over the edge a little, finish with small shells.
A priceless masterpiece!
35 comments:
Hey Maya
Looks fantastic.. maybe I'd need someone else to clean them.. hahaha..
have a great week xx Julie
Oh, thank you, Maya, for this post. I am still surprised every time I look at this mirror, I really did it. It was all pretty easy, simple, but just took lots of steps. I am glad I took the time to make this mirror, well worth it.
Have a lovely day!
That is fabulous! I bet it has some weight to it, but wow, so worth the time put into it.
Hey, Maya, sent you a little link love on my blog. Check it out. I love reading your posts and wanted others to read it too.
Blessings and have a great day.
T
Who ever thought you could make oyster shells look pretty! This is gorgeous!!
xoxo Laura
Tremendous job! Kudos to her. What a beautiful mirror. The kids and I made a mirror of found shells. We hot glued the shells...and slowly they all started popping off. Liquid nails. Must be the key!
Love it!
Looks gorgeous!
WOW! Thank you so much for the links and great photos! I love this mirror and it would be perfect in my home! You've given me so many good ideas...things I had not thought of! Thanks! ♥
Wow -- I can imagine how much work went into gluing all those shells onto the mirror. But the final result is fabulous!! I think Sandi's mirror looks even better than the Wisteria mirror :-)
Kelly
That turned out great! I might try it. I have a friend with an oyster field (I think that's what they're called).
OMG!! That is gorgeous and so laborious! I happen to be on the crafty kick this week and made a necklace inspired by the sea. But WOW this craft shows sheer dedication!!
Wow-it turned out beautifully!
Fantastic! Your blog is my newest addiction!
I love Lamp Tramp's mirror and can't wait to try and make and oyster lamp (she has one of those too!) or mirror of my own one of these days! I love her blog too!
I love the Lamp Tramp!!! She has so many neat ideas and great projects on her blog!
I am getting close to being ready to make one...don't have enough shells yet! I am sure I will be e-mailing her for help!
Rhonda
Now this gives me the excuse to get out there and eat oysters for the next few weeks! Thanks Maya. Look forward to catching up on your blog. xx
i really love your blog! thanks for stopping by today!
you give me such inspiration...things that even I can do (not being a very crafty girl, I'm a good "adapter" though!).
i love the yellow house and car photo. Yellow is my current favorite color. Can't wait to wear that shade of nail polish once summer comes!
Great blog; i love it.
Love this post! Thanks for bringing it to us, not only do I like Sandi's mirror better than the Wisteria one, I love the room she has it in too. Awesome work! ~Lili
WOW!! I love this!
Maya I didn't realize you had registered Completely Coastal on Bloglovin. YEYY!!
The oyster mirror is fab! I have a round mirror that desperately needs a frame, Thank you for inspiration =D
I LOVE this! I was wondering if I could DIY that mirror....
I would like a rectangle one for beach house bath would that be more difficult? i say one at a Hampton Inn and shells faced out instead of in
I am going to attempt to use oyster shells to cover the range hood in our new kitchen in Avon, N.C. Do you or anyone have suggestions or thoughts as to the type of adhesive to use. i have played with tile adhesive and thought it gave me time to re-arrange the shells without drying too quickly. I think a random , just shucked look is what i'm going for. any advise would be GREATLY appreciated..
Terry Jennette Ponton
Regarding covering range hood with oyster shells:
Sandi used liquid nail to glue her oyster shells onto a wood frame. I think it depends on the surface material. I would look for the strongest glue that works with that particular surface. I'm sure someone in a hardware store and/or building department (home depot, lowes) could give you the best advise on this, since I have never done anything like it. It sounds like a great project!!
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Maya!
I've linked to this wonderful article on my latest post. Hope you are well.
Beach dreams & sandy toes.
Marie @ Sally Lee by the Sea
http://nauticalcottageblog.com
if you are still around, Lady Tramp, can you share exactly how you cleaned the shells?
How to clean shells?
I will put a post together about cleaning shells..., one proven method seems to be to run the shells through an industrial dishwasher with bleach!
Hi Maya
I did a post about cleaning my oyster shells here http://fabulousfluffstuff.blogspot.com/2010/01/oyster-shells.html
I had read somewhere about running them through a dishwasher, baking them in an oven but decided I did not want to risk my appliances with some shells. Cleaning them was a long process but well worth it. My mirror, lamp, and other things I've made with the shells still do not smell. You have to be very careful with oyster shells as all the baby oysters attach themselves to a larger shell. I had to open all the little baby shells on one large shell, even after I bleached them, and scrape out the dead oyster. I am about to get another load of oyster shells and will be making more items. I'll try to do another post about cleaning them also.
my oysters smell terrible! I think the bad idea was I didn't clean off the barnacles. I bleached them, then rinsed them, then baked them and I live in a condo and just heard some people in the hallways say it smells like someone died on the floor. Totally not worth it until you have your own house...........
The easiest and most environmentally friendly way to clean oyster shells is to let them sit in white vinegar and water mixture for 3 hours. Take a scrub brush and brush the dirt off and let dry on a paper towel.
Thanks for sharing the tip, Arlene!!
Quick question. I saw oyster shell mirrors at a restaurant in New Orleans (and its sister-restaurant in San Antonio). Those were made with the oyster shell's inside facing out. They also seemed to have the back of the oyster cut off or ground off somehow to make them thinner so they'd stack better when gluing them on. It seemed to make it all not as heavy, too. Anyone try this yet? Anyone know how to grind or cut off the back of the shell without breaking the front (inside). I could use advice before I start trying this project. I have lots of smelly oysters about to get bleached and cleaned! :) Thanks!
Cut off the back of the oyster shells?
I don't know how you would do that. With a grinder or other power tool!? I happen to like the ruggedness of the oysters, but the mirror you saw sounds interesting! Would love to see a picture of it! Wishing you the best with your project!!
I have a photo of that oyster mirror if you'd like to see it. E-mail me at ruestpeter@yahoo.com and I'll send it to you, or let me know a better way to post it to this site. I'm not sure how to post a photo to this page.
I live in Kissimmee, FL and would love to make this mirror and matching lamps can anyone supply me with Oyster Shells??
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