If you are a family of beachcombers, dust off the sand and incorporate your shore finds into holiday decorations.

Wash items first and arrange by size and color and fire up the glue gun.

Fasten shells to a pillar candle using larger sizes around the base and increasingly smaller sizes up the sides in uneven lengths. Pearl or rose-colored shells give a jeweled look to a satin white candle.

Sand dollars and starfish make beautiful tree ornaments, fastened with satin ribbon and bows.

Add shells to wreaths for a touch of white and a contrasting texture. Making a straw wreath covered in hundreds of small shells will try your patience but impress your guests. Finish it with a white satin bow or white ribbon with gold or silver glitter trim. Don't hang it in a heavy traffic area.

Fill a glass vase with small shells one-third of the way and center a candle that's longer than the container. You may need to adhere the candle to the bottom for stability.

Let children make shell snowman ornaments with shells glued to a pipe cleaner or craft stick and add a ribbon hanger.

Joy Kraft