Reef Fish
10-03-2014, 07:16 PM
Hi guys, I wanted to share my first seashell top making experience :) I wanted to use all fake stuff to try and make it really durable.
The materials I used includeded:
- fake sea shell top
- fishing line
- an old cast net
- beads
- fake aquarium plants
- permanent markers
- bikini clip
- a hot glue gun
- durable thread
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/Alaro06/Mermaid/20140823_1135411.jpg
I looked around in my home town and could find very little of use by way of Sea Shells! So I went to Ebay and came back with a pair of Sea Shells that are meant to be part of a Hula dancing costume party costume. Only problem was I didn't really like the colour of them, so I was going to have to fix that.
I started with netting, beads and aquarium weed first. I drilled extra holes in the shells (made of plastic this was easy to do) then tied the netting on with fishing line followed by hot glue gunning the edges to the shell for extra support. I did one side first and then put the top on and figured out what length it had to be sit comfortably around my neck for support while swimming and then tied on the other side and repeated the gluing process.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/Alaro06/Mermaid/2014-09-29173200.jpg
I threaded weed through the netting (tip: start at the bottom of the weed so the little leaves fold against the stem as you're threading. It's much harder the other way!)
I attached the plant to the side of the sea shells with more hot glue to keep it in place. Some of the beads I tied onto the stems of the seaweed, others I made "floating" by tying them onto the end of a piece of fishing line (or tying a smaller bead on the end as a stopper and threading the big one on after), then tying it off to the stems of the plants so they give the illusion of just floating near me.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/Alaro06/Mermaid/2014-08-23143146.jpg
Then I decided to have a go at colouring my shells. I wanted something waterproof and wasn't sure what would bond with the funny coat on the sea shells. I decided to try permanent markers with a clear layer of laquer over the top. I was concerned that permanent markers wouldn't come in a big enough range of colours, but a trip to the local office supplies shop proved me wrong!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/Alaro06/Mermaid/20140903_185544.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/Alaro06/Mermaid/20140903_192041.jpg
I figured out I should have coloured them before attaching the other stuff though as it was harder to colour in around the seaweed. I've got that sorted for the next one I'm going to make though.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/Alaro06/Mermaid/20140904_184804.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/Alaro06/Mermaid/20140903_204529.jpg
I never got the clear coat on over the top however after swimming in the top every day for two weeks the colours have held pretty well. I'm going to do a touchup on it and clear coat it during my down time.
Anyway, after I'd coloured the shells I attached the sides of the top. More netting around the sides and I useded a clear bikini clip (also sourced from Ebay) for the back to make it easy to do up.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/Alaro06/Mermaid/20141004_0902511.jpg
That left it looking like this!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/Alaro06/Mermaid/72c82eba-1317-4a61-b159-d266869650ea.jpg
I also hot glued a fake sea star to the top of one of the shells and some extra orange weed. I don't have a photo of just the top completed and don't have it here today to get one. Will try to add one later :)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/Alaro06/20141004_0908551.jpg
All in all I've been pretty happy with it :) It hasn't fallen off while swimming or broken in any significant way. It's very supportive and secure. I did wear it over the top of a normal bikini top while performing... just in case but had no issues.
There is only one downside I didn't forsee and I'm not sure if you other mers have had the same problem. I have long hair and it gets tangled BADLY in the fake aquarium weed while swimming. I'm going to need a good hair cut to get rid of all the broken off bits I think! Any solutions? I think it's because the weed is plastic, my hair binds around the stems and also cuts into the leaves a little and I found untangling it before leaving the water helped alot. If you have any suggestions I'd love to hear them before I start the next top :)
Cheers
The materials I used includeded:
- fake sea shell top
- fishing line
- an old cast net
- beads
- fake aquarium plants
- permanent markers
- bikini clip
- a hot glue gun
- durable thread
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/Alaro06/Mermaid/20140823_1135411.jpg
I looked around in my home town and could find very little of use by way of Sea Shells! So I went to Ebay and came back with a pair of Sea Shells that are meant to be part of a Hula dancing costume party costume. Only problem was I didn't really like the colour of them, so I was going to have to fix that.
I started with netting, beads and aquarium weed first. I drilled extra holes in the shells (made of plastic this was easy to do) then tied the netting on with fishing line followed by hot glue gunning the edges to the shell for extra support. I did one side first and then put the top on and figured out what length it had to be sit comfortably around my neck for support while swimming and then tied on the other side and repeated the gluing process.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/Alaro06/Mermaid/2014-09-29173200.jpg
I threaded weed through the netting (tip: start at the bottom of the weed so the little leaves fold against the stem as you're threading. It's much harder the other way!)
I attached the plant to the side of the sea shells with more hot glue to keep it in place. Some of the beads I tied onto the stems of the seaweed, others I made "floating" by tying them onto the end of a piece of fishing line (or tying a smaller bead on the end as a stopper and threading the big one on after), then tying it off to the stems of the plants so they give the illusion of just floating near me.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/Alaro06/Mermaid/2014-08-23143146.jpg
Then I decided to have a go at colouring my shells. I wanted something waterproof and wasn't sure what would bond with the funny coat on the sea shells. I decided to try permanent markers with a clear layer of laquer over the top. I was concerned that permanent markers wouldn't come in a big enough range of colours, but a trip to the local office supplies shop proved me wrong!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/Alaro06/Mermaid/20140903_185544.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/Alaro06/Mermaid/20140903_192041.jpg
I figured out I should have coloured them before attaching the other stuff though as it was harder to colour in around the seaweed. I've got that sorted for the next one I'm going to make though.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/Alaro06/Mermaid/20140904_184804.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/Alaro06/Mermaid/20140903_204529.jpg
I never got the clear coat on over the top however after swimming in the top every day for two weeks the colours have held pretty well. I'm going to do a touchup on it and clear coat it during my down time.
Anyway, after I'd coloured the shells I attached the sides of the top. More netting around the sides and I useded a clear bikini clip (also sourced from Ebay) for the back to make it easy to do up.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/Alaro06/Mermaid/20141004_0902511.jpg
That left it looking like this!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/Alaro06/Mermaid/72c82eba-1317-4a61-b159-d266869650ea.jpg
I also hot glued a fake sea star to the top of one of the shells and some extra orange weed. I don't have a photo of just the top completed and don't have it here today to get one. Will try to add one later :)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e286/Alaro06/20141004_0908551.jpg
All in all I've been pretty happy with it :) It hasn't fallen off while swimming or broken in any significant way. It's very supportive and secure. I did wear it over the top of a normal bikini top while performing... just in case but had no issues.
There is only one downside I didn't forsee and I'm not sure if you other mers have had the same problem. I have long hair and it gets tangled BADLY in the fake aquarium weed while swimming. I'm going to need a good hair cut to get rid of all the broken off bits I think! Any solutions? I think it's because the weed is plastic, my hair binds around the stems and also cuts into the leaves a little and I found untangling it before leaving the water helped alot. If you have any suggestions I'd love to hear them before I start the next top :)
Cheers