Give your home decor a holiday flavour with four crafty ideas
A TRIP to the beach will often end in a collection of sand, shells and pebbles making their way home with you.
Instead of throwing them away, why not put them to good use creating mementos you can treasure for ever?
Dip a toe into crafting with these simple ideas.
LIGHT WORK: Use the sand in shoes and the shells in your pockets to make seaside-themed candle holders.
Arrange both in the bottom of a small glass, then put a tealight candle in there too.
The next time you light it up, you will be taken back to that lovely day at the beach.
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ROCK ON: Stoney beaches might play havoc with bare feet, but any bits you collect can be put to good use.
Remember the rock-painting craze?
Take it a step further with the ideas at Hobbycraft.co.uk and make your own pebble portraits, pebble family trees or alien pebbles.
STICK TRICK: Sun-bleached, wave-worn driftwood can be the starting point for lots of beach craft projects, from wind chimes to picture frames.
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One of the simplest to make is a driftwood mobile.
Collect as many pieces of the dried-out wood as you can.
Drill a hole in each piece and string together with rough twine. Make it as higgledy-piggledy as possible using sticks of different lengths.
Hang from a ceiling hook for a reminder of beach fun.
TINY TREASURES: If you and the family get busy with a bit of beach cleaning, you might be lucky enough to find some gems among the rubbish.
The plastics that litter our shores can be recycled to create a picture or collage.
That is what Cornwall artist Michelle Costello does.
She even sells creations at her Etsy shop that are made from discarded plastic found on local beaches.
Michelle also raises awareness of plastic pollution and fundraises for charity.
For some inspiration, take a look at her Instagram page, smartie_lids_on_the_beach.
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