Shell Crafts Planters

Shell Planters

Children love searching the beach for treasures also known as shells.  This activity alone creates memories that last a lift time.  I remember traveling with my Grandparents to the beach and being so proud of shells that I found.  My Grandpa John would make such a fuss that he had me convinced that this was the first shell he had ever seen.

Our granddaughters love the beach and spend hours with their buckets walking up and down .  This year we were looking for conch shells because we were going to make planter souvenirs to remind us of our time at the beach.

Supplies:

1. Conch shells that you and your children have found on the beach together
2. Hen-and-Chicks succulent plants
3. Small amount of organic planter lining
4. Small amount of soil

Directions:

  

Step 1:  gather all you materials together in one place and spend some time talking about the shells relive the memories with your children or if they have gathered the shells with their parents let them tell you all about their treasures

Step 2: explain to the children that succulent plants do not need a great deal of water and that the best way to care for their plants is to mist them once a week.

Step 3:  help the children break apart the plants and have them pay attention to small new plants that appear as tiny balls save these for later.

Step 4: if the shell has only one opening have them put just a small amount of soil in the shell.  Where there is more than one opening cover all the opening that will not be used with the organic planter lining  and add the soil to the other.

Step 5:  Now have the children force, yes really push the plants into the conch shell opening and crowd the plants adding the small seedling you saved earlier. 








Step 6: Step back and enjoy your souvenirs from the beach.  One of the girls decided that she would plant two of the openings in her shell the result was wonderful.  This planter sits proudly on my office windowsill and brings a smile every time I look at it.

The total cost of this craft if you do not count the vacation was $6.00 CA for six planters.  
$1.99 for a small bag of soil (we only used about 2 cups in total)
$3.00 for the two succulent plants
$1.50 for organic plant lining

Grandma Snyder

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