Beach lovers will enjoy these delightful beeswax seashell candles, which look right at home in a glass terrarium filled with sand. I live near the ocean and like to collect shells whenever I visit the beach so I have plenty just waiting to be crafted into something special. Seashell beeswax tea lights are a wonderful way to create mementos of special trips to the beach or vacations by the ocean.
If you don’t have a collection of found seashells and don’t live near the ocean, you can buy them at your local craft store inexpensively.
Materials:
- Clam or oyster shells, deep enough to hold some wax, similar size to a tea light
- A double boiler
- Beeswax
- Waxed and wired tea light wicks with tabs
- Decorative sand and small seashells
- Glass bowl
- Tray
Make it!
1. Melt the beeswax in a double boiler. Keep a close watch on it so that it can be poured as soon as it’s completely liquid. 
2. Prepare the seashells by washing them thoroughly and setting them as you want to fill them in a tray filled with sand. The sand will help to keep the shells in place while the wax is poured and sets.
3. Carefully pour wax into the shells, making sure that they stay level and wax doesn’t pour over the edges.
4. Place a wick in the center of each one. The wicks are short and should easily stay in place.
5. Let the seashell tea lights cool and cure for 24 hours undisturbed.
When they are ready, make candle terrariums by filling the glass bowl with decorative sand and shells and setting the tea lights inside.
You could also experiment with colored sand. I personally like the natural look of my white-sand terrariums, but I can see how a little pop of color could add some fun to this display as well. Pastel blues, purples, greens, and pinks might make these terrariums feel more mermaidy.
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
These are really pretty! Pinning for future project ;)