Bead-Embroidered Seashell Jewelry: A Felt-Base Tutorial

Things you will learn

The shell's cavity is filled with silicone glue first, to create a sturdy base for mounting it on felt.
You bead the outer edge first, then work upward, gradually reducing the number of beads per row.
The second and third bead rows are sewn through every other bead of the previous row, creating a checkerboard pattern.
On the fourth and final round, switch to larger beads for contrast.
The felt base is trimmed, glued onto leather and trimmed again, and the side seam is closed with the largest beads.

What you'll get

You'll get a shell fully bead-embroidered around the edge in four rows, with contrasting large beads on the final round and the side seam, ready to wear as a pendant or brooch.

Materials and tools

Materials

Felt, used as the base the shell is mounted on before bead embroidery
Seed beads, needed in different sizes: small for the first three rows and large for the fourth row and the side seam
Nylon thread, used to sew on the beads
Glue gun and Moment-brand glue, the glue gun with silicone glue fills the shell's cavity, and the Moment glue mounts the shell on felt and the felt base on leather

Tools

Scissors, needed to trim the felt and leather base after beading

Preparation

Get your materials ready

Gather felt, seed beads in a few sizes, nylon thread, a glue gun with silicone glue, and Moment-brand glue. Also prepare a small piece of leather for the final backing.

Choose a shell

Take a clean, dry shell left over from a trip to the sea — it'll become the centerpiece of your jewelry.

Mount the shell on a base

First, prepare the shell so it's easy to bead-embroider.

Fill the shell's cavity with silicone glue

Fill the shell's cavity with silicone glue from a glue gun — this gives it a sturdy base.

A shell and glue for mounting it on a felt base

Glue the shell onto felt

Once the glue has set, mount the shell onto felt using clear Moment glue. This gives you a workable piece ready for bead embroidery.

Bead-embroider the shell

Beading works from the edge toward the center, gradually reducing the beads per row.

Bead the outer edge as the first row

Bead the shell's outer edge, forming the first row.

The first row of beads along the shell's edge

Sew the second and third rows through every other bead

Work your way upward gradually, reducing the number of beads per row. Sew the second and third rows through every other bead of the previous row, to create a neat checkerboard pattern.

A shell with its outer edge bead-embroidered

Bead-embroidering the shell's second row

Finish with a fourth row of large beads

On the fourth and final round, switch to larger beads for contrast. Take the thread to the back and secure it.

The shell's side seam closed with large beads

Finish the base

All that's left is to trim away excess material and close the side seam.

Trim the felt base

Trim the felt base to remove the excess material without cutting into the beadwork.

The finished shell jewelry with a beaded edging

Glue the piece onto leather and trim the edge

Glue the bead-embroidered piece onto a leather surface and trim away the excess leather.

A shell on its base, bead-embroidered along the edge

A side view of the shell bead-embroidered

Close the side seam with large beads

Close the side seam with the largest beads, stringing them one at a time along the edge until you've ringed the whole space.

Finish and variations

Finish

Use your piece of jewelry

You can wear the finished piece as a pendant on nylon thread, or attach it to any other base. The same technique works for sea pebbles too, not just shells, letting you build a whole matching set.

Variations

Sea pebbles instead of a shell

You can bead-embroider sea pebbles the same way, not just shells — together they make a lovely matching set of jewelry.

Troubleshooting

The beads feel loose or shift

Problem

The bead rows come apart or sag after a bit of handling.

Likely cause

The shell was mounted on felt before the silicone glue inside it had fully set, leaving the base too soft.

How to fix it

Let the silicone glue inside the shell fully set before mounting it on felt and starting the bead embroidery.

The checkerboard pattern comes out uneven

Problem

In the second and third rows, the beads don't form a neat alternating pattern.

Likely cause

The second and third row beads were sewn on consecutively instead of through every other bead.

How to fix it

Sew the second and third row beads strictly through every other bead of the previous row to get a neat checkerboard.

Felt shows along the edge after trimming

Problem

After trimming the felt base, strips of felt are visible along the edges of the piece.

Likely cause

The felt was trimmed too far from the beads, or the beads themselves got cut during trimming.

How to fix it

Trim the felt as close to the beads as possible, but carefully, without cutting into the beads themselves.

Gaps remain along the side seam

Problem

After closing the side seam with large beads, gaps are visible between the beads.

Likely cause

The large beads weren't strung tightly enough along the edge, without fully closing the ring.

How to fix it

String the large beads one after another along the edge until you've closed the entire ring of the side seam with no gaps.

FAQ

What materials do you need for a seashell piece of jewelry?

Felt, seed beads, nylon thread, and a glue gun with Moment-brand glue.

Why fill the shell with silicone glue?

It creates a sturdy base inside the shell that's easy to mount on felt before bead embroidery.

How do you get a checkerboard pattern while beading?

The second and third bead rows are sewn through every other bead of the previous row.

Can you bead-embroider a sea pebble instead of a shell?

Yes, you can use the same technique on sea pebbles — the result is just as striking.

What else can you make from a bead-embroidered shell besides a pendant?

Based on commenters' feedback, a shell like this also makes a nice brooch or keychain.

BussinkaOct 20

This is the cabochon bead-embroidery technique!

That's right )) What's great about it is that you can bead-embroider just about anything. And quickly too, in any solid color or pattern 😉

Krestiki NolikiOct 19

Beading pebbles surprised me )) Really simple, but so pretty!
And you could turn a bead-embroidered shell into a brooch or a keychain too 🥰

KislinkaOct 18

This is the cabochon bead-embroidery technique! I never would have thought it'd look this good with shells (y)
Probably a lot depends on the shade of the beads too — the bead color needs to match the shell's own color as closely as possible.

Sea Memories: A Bead-Embroidered Seashell Ornament Tutorial

Things you will learn

What you'll get