$13 Fireplace Makeover: DIY Seashell Surround

I’ve been dreaming about this seashell fireplace surround, pinning all the inspiring images, and collecting shells from our local beaches to use for this DIY project since we moved into our home back in 2019. So to say I’m thrilled to have finally brought this shell of a dream to life is a major understatement! And the bonus is that this fireplace makeover only cost me $13!!!

I’m so in love! This shell surround makes the fireplace a true focal point in the space, and it gave our living room such a welcoming, cozy vibe.

DIY Details:

• Skill level – This is a beginner-friendly, no-special-skills-or-tools required DIY project. It’s really more of an art project. You just need to have a little patience as this is a somewhat time-consuming project. At least it was for me. It took me about a week to complete this project working for a few hours a day. But this is where audiobooks can be your best friend, right?! (I listened to Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty which I really enjoyed!)
• Materials needed – I used this high-heat furnace cement and a putty knife to spread. And lots of collected shells in a variety of sizes, colors, and styles.
• Process – I started by grouping my shells by color. Then I taped off the surround, marked the center point, and laid out my center pattern. I chose to start in the middle and work my way out from there. Working in sections, I used the putty knife to spread a thin layer of cement (you don’t need to use very much cement at all!) and placed my shells. You can see a video of this process here and here. To my surprise and delight this cement works like a champ, holding even large, heavy shells in place really well! It offers immediate grab, so there is no slipping or sliding as you are placing your shells. Yet, the cure time is about an hour, so you can easily remove and re-place shells to get them exactly where you want them before the cement dries. This was the most fun DIY I’ve completed in a long time! I had the best time working on this project. I was almost sad when it was over. It felt a lot like working a puzzle, which I love. This project is truly heavy on the creativity and light on the tedium despite it being a bit time-consuming. And I’d do it again in a heartbeat!

I feel like shells are just so beautiful, each one is like a tiny work of art, so no matter what you do with them the result will always be breathtakingly stunning!

The color, texture, warmth, and personality this shell fireplace brought into our living room has really made this space come alive!

It was fine before.

But now, it’s a masterpiece!

Let me know if you have any questions!