Three colorfully painted seashell crabs on a sandy surface.

Crafts with shells

This Easy Crab DIY Seashell Craft gives you a creative way to use some of those seashells from your vacation beach adventure! Go get your seashells out of the box or vase you stuck them in and let’s have some fun.

Use these seashell crabs for table or party decorations or to top a gift. Make a bunch!

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DIY Seashell crafts for kids

When the grands came, we were looking for a fast craft to do together and these cute little crabs are the result. You saw them in the August Coloring Page Video. I keep moving them around the house and you never know where they may show up!

Scallop Shell Crafts

We only made these from the flatter and more open scalloped seashells, but with some creativity I think you could make them from other shapes of shells.

Supplies for making seashell crab crafts. Shells, paint, glue gun, googly eyes.

How do I make a crab from seashells?

Using acrylic craft paint, paint the shell the color of your choice and allow to dry. Of course the kids were creative and used more than one color of paint so we had some jazzy looking crabs!

Use a wire clippers (or scissors) to cut a pipe cleaner into eight 1-inch pieces for legs and cut the remaining piece into two for the two front claws. This pipe cleaner can be any color. We tried to match our color paint to leg color if possible, but you be you!

Person gluing red pipe cleaners on the inside of a shell.

Take the two claw pieces and make a little round loop on one end of each one to be the pinchers. Set those separately from the leg pieces.

Turn the seashell over and use hot glue to glue four legs on each side of the seashell. Then hot glue the pinchers to the front of the shell. Allow to cool.

Blonde girl with blue butterfly dress paints seashells on yellow table cloth.

Note: You can place the glue on the shell for the littles. My grands were able to place the pipe cleaner pieces themselves though. Use your judgement on if they are old enough for that.

Turn the shell back over and glue two googly eyes on the front end of the shell. I love how one grand chose two different sizes of eyes. It made the crab so cute and wonky looking.

Arrange the legs a bit so the crab stands well and you are done!

Small girl watches person place googly eye on yellow painted shell crab.

Aren’t they CUTE?

Now go have some fun placing them in various places around the house. Or wouldn’t the crabs be cute as table decorations for a summer party or on the top of a gift? I’d better go make some more!

More Summer Crafts and Activities

Want to keep the summer fun rolling? Check out these crafts and activities from around the blog!

Two colorful seashell crabs lay on a yellow table cloth with paints and paintbrush nearby.

Enjoy!

If you try this craft, let me know! Go ahead and leave a comment, rate it, and tag a photo with #WelcometoNanas wherever you post.

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