Easy DIY snail shell bracelet (seashell craft idea)

I came across the Free People Sarasota Shell Bracelet and immediately wanted to make my own. It looked so simple, and I knew I had the perfect snail shells in my collection to recreate it. So that’s exactly what I did, and I love how it turned out.

If you have been looking for seashell craft ideas for your collection, this easy DIY snail shell bracelet is a great place to start. Our trip to Punta Cana really got me in the mood for beach crafts, and this was the perfect project to kick things off.

Supplies needed

• snail shells (or other shells work too of course)
• micro hand drill or Dremel (aka power rotary tool)
• small drill bit
• scissors
• elastic stretch cord for jewelry making
• flat protected surface to drill on like an old cutting board
• (small clamp or paper clip is optional)

I used 24 snail shells. The amount of shells you need depends on the size of the shells and the size of your wrist. I have tiny wrists. (Of course, you could turn this into a snail shell necklace too if you made it really long)

I’m using Shark Eye (Neverita duplicata) moonsnail shells and Northern Moonsnail (Euspira heros) shells. The Shark eye has a dark eye at the tip of the spire. And the bottom is closed meaning the hole of shell on the bottom is covered in the center of the shell versus the Northern Moonsnail having an uncovered hole at the center of the shell. (learn more about all the seashells)

Here you can see what I mean:

I also want to make a bracelet with American Mud Snails or Mud Dog Whelks (Tritia trivittata) if I find enough this upcoming summer.

Step-by-step instructions

Below are the step-by-step instructions for making your own snail shell bracelet. Before you start threading, it is important to properly clean and prep your shells, so don’t skip the first step.

Step 1: How to clean the snail shells before using

Especially snail shells can keep all kinds of bacteria and even parasites hidden far down in their spiral shell. You can soak them in peroxide or a water and bleach solution, but the bleach can discolor the shells. Discoloring the shells can look pretty too which is what I needed for my seashell flower tutorial.
If you boil the shells you can avoid discoloration and still accomplish destroying bacteria and diseases hidden within. Let them dry all the way after boiling or soaking.

For example, freshwater and land snails can house parasitic worms that can transmit schistosomiasis, which is a chronic disease. (You can read a lot more info about snail-borne parasitic diseases)

This is not to scare you, just to make sure that you handle them the right way. I never had any issues with any of the snail shells that I collected since I was a child.

Step 2: Drilling holes in the shells

I have drilled holes with both, the hand drill and the Dremel. The hand drill takes much longer and is better if your shells are brittle.

If they are sturdy like these snail shells, then using a Dremel with a small drill bit is the faster and easier solution.

I used an old cutting board to drill my shells on. Simply hold the shell with one hand and the drill in the other hand while slowly pressing on the shell with the rotating drill.

As I mentioned earlier, I needed 24 snail shells for my bracelet. So the drilling can take a bit of time, and the Dremel helps speeds things up for sure.

Step 3: Threading the shells onto the stretch cord

Start with wrapping some of the elastic stretch cord around your wrist to see how much you need and add about 4 inches to be safe.

I attached a small clamp to one end about two inches in so the snail shells don’t slide off again while working on threading them all onto the cord.

Slide all the shells onto the cord and keep wrapping it over your wrist to make sure you have enough shells for the circumference of your wrist.

Step 4: Knotting the ends

When you have enough shells on your cord, securely double-knot the stretch cord, and voila, you have a beautiful snail shell bracelet.

Also, check out my macrame starfish tutorial that I’m holding in the photo below while wearing the bracelet.

Here it is on the much prettier and younger hand of my daughter.

Where to buy snail shell bracelets

If you don’t feel like making your own, there are always great places to buy them. Etsy is always my favorite source to support small businesses and shops.

Anyways, I hope you liked this little jewelry project.

Tschüß,