Vacation Treasures – Beach Collection Shadowbox

When our friends at Wayfair brought up the idea of doing an update to one of our very first crafts, I knew IMMEDIATELY which one I wanted to tackle.  Now don’t get me wrong, there’s always some oldies that aren’t so much goodies, but this is one that never quite sat right with me or my style.

Behold, my beach treasure shadowbox from September 2014.

Now, that is actually the one I sent to my cousin and the gold was part of her nursery decor (they stayed with us to visit the beach that summer with her little bump).  But of course I made one for myself to go on our office gallery wall also!  I used a black shadowbox this time because I thought it would look good on the navy walls, but it just wasn’t my usual weathered coastal style.

So I decided to give it a good coat of paint with some distressing, then a weathered wood trim to make it more coastal, weathered, and neutral.

{Supplies}

• Paint – I used AS chalk paint in Paris Grey
• Sandpaper
• Wood trim – Mine were 3″ poplar boards
• Wood stain – I used my favorite weathered stain

I brushed on about three coats of the chalk paint, both on the frame and on the insert, then distressed it slightly with fine grit sandpaper (about 240 grit).

For the trim, I measured each side then did a 45 degree mitered cut on the miter saw.  I wiped on my stain then just hot-glued the trim on, lining up the corners.  I left the glass off this time and like it a ton better without it.

These simple steps completely transformed the look of the piece and it fits in MUCH better with our decor now!  Now, of course you can do this with anything you collect, like seashells, so you can tailor it to whatever you’d like!  It’s perfect for remembering a vacation or special event :)

I also really love that the lighter frame really makes the seeds stand out so much more.  You can really see their detail.  Leaving the glass off helps too :)

Thanks so much to Wayfair for challenging us to re-do one of our projects!  Our styles always change and evolve and it never hurts to revisit something you once liked and see how you feel about it now, then make it work again!

Be sure to visit Wayfair for any arts and crafts supplies you may need, as well as any craft storage ideas! 

Shell Wall Hanging

Oystershell Candleholder

Driftwood and Acorn Garland