Okay so when my niece Chloe was turning ten last month, I totally blanked. She’s super into art stuff and sea creatures, especially shells. Last summer she talked my ear off about finding this one perfect pink scallop shell. Figured regular toys weren’t gonna cut it. Started doodling ideas on a napkin during my coffee break.
Brainstorming Phase (Pure Chaos)
First thought: buy her a big shell collection online. Boooring. Done that. Wanted something way more “her.” Scrolled through her mom’s Facebook photos—tons of beach trips and messy art projects. Lightbulb moment!
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My Messy Idea List:
- Shell diorama kit? Too much like school.
- Paint shells together? Might not wow her.
- Custom jewelry? Could work.
- Photo thing? Blanked.
Then I stumbled on an ad for custom lights. Ding ding ding! Decided to hunt down six proper shell gift ideas instead of one.
The Actual Hunt
Hit the craft store downtown first. Grabbed:
- A plain jewelry box
- Clear glue that promised to hold shells
- Small paint tubes
- Mod Podge that I hoped worked on shells
The salesperson kept asking about my “project,” jokes on me—I looked confused surrounded by shell bits at checkout.
Making The Stuff
1. Memory Jar:
Found a giant mason jar under my sink. Spray-painted the lid teal. Took shells we collected last summer (sneaky text to mom!), wrote tiny notes about each memory. Stuffed it all inside.
2. Shell Necklace Disaster Turned Win:
Tried drilling holes… shattered two conch shells. Switched to hot glue attaching small shells to premade pendants. Messy but worked!
3. The Shell Lamp (MVP):
My proudest mess. Bought a cheap lamp base. Glued sand dollars and tiny shells around the shade with that craft glue. Tip: put heavy books on top while drying. Turned out shockingly artsy.
The Final Six
Wrapped everything in leftover blue paper:
- Memory Jar
- Shell Necklace (in the crappy box)
- Shell Lamp (just wrapped the shade, carried the base separately)
- Shell Painting Kit (her old shells + new paints)
- Custom Shell Photo Frame (stuck a beach photo)
- Mini Terrarium with Shells (used a fishbowl!)
Results?
She totally screamed about the lamp—kept pointing at each shell. Then spent an hour reading jar memories. Her parents sent me pics later of the necklace with sand paint all over it. Absolute win. Learned more about craft glue than physics, but worth it.
Don’t overthink it. Start with what makes your niece smile. Buy a gallon of glue. Just try.
