Collecting little treasures is probably a universal behavior of kids.  It’s very possible it’s genetic too ;) But what to do with all the shells, sticks and stones we bring home every vacation? We had this batch from our trip to Thailand lying around for over 6 months and I finally made this garland.

what you’ll need:
• collected holiday treasures (shells, sticks, leaves, stones) Preferable the imperfect ones, already with little wholes in it
• a sharp knife and/or hand drill
• a piece of string (length depending how long you want to make your garland). I used 2 meters of neon pink for a nice contrast with the pastels of the shells

Step 1 – select
Select the treasures you want to use. Pick a nice order, contrasting in shape, color and size. Save a heavier item to use as bottom weight.

Step 2 – drill, thread & knotMake wholes with the knife or drill. Work slowly with a little pressure, so you won’t break your shells. I started from the bottom up. So first attach your bottom weight. I tied a big shell with a simple double knot. No you attach the rest as they come. A shell with one whole will stay on top of a simple knot. Tie ticks and stones by wrapping the string around and secure with one or two knots.

Step 3 – hang
Finished? Measure the length and make a loop at the top of your garland. Find a nice place where you want to hang it and share your holiday memories.\