When you come back from the beach, to keep the kids busy when the weather is bad and you are stuck on the boat, or simply to remember good memories, making a beach mobile out of shells and driftwood is very easy. Here is a little tutorial to get you started.
Controlled sampling
Before collecting shellfish on a beach, you should first check the regulations of the place. Indeed, this regulated practice, generally tolerated when carried out in a reasonable way, can be completely prohibited in highly touristic or protected places.
The collection of driftwood is not regulated. However, it is necessary to collect it in small quantities, because it is part of the ecosystem of the seashore and, as such, has a role to play on our beaches. On the other hand, frosted glass can be collected without constraint, it is an ecological act.
The material needed to make a mobile
You can integrate all kinds of elements in the beach mobile: shells, frosted glass, driftwood, pebbles, dried seaweed, glass bottles, paper boats, pontoons or whatever your imagination allows.
Nevertheless, some materials will be more fragile or more complicated to work with than others. So, for an ultra simple mobile, we will use shells, already pierced, collected on the beach, a branch found on the sand or in the garden, cotton thread, fishing line or even wool depending on what we have in the boat's equipment.
The construction of the mobile
Depending on the length of the branch, we will determine the number of strands to hang so that they are not too tight. Then, simply tie one by one the shells on the strands with a small overhand knot, or two simple knots so that they do not slip.
For a nice effect, we will make strands of different lengths and alternate the types of shells according to their shape, size and color. Finish by attaching a wire to both ends of the branch to hang it in the wind.
There are an infinite number of variations for this type of mobile. Feel free to let your imagination run wild!
