Who doesn’t have at least a few seashells saved from a favorite beach vacation?  Recently, my beautiful friend Leif came over for dinner and brought me these:

I suppose the intended use of these is for serving oysters.  But we both thought these would be great to serve salt and pepper!

Which got me thinking . . . what are some other creative uses for seashells?  I mean, why not put your collections to work in a functional AND beautiful way? 

Who better to ask than Martha Stewart?  She and her minions always have great ideas for crafty projects.  I sifted through her seashell craft ideas and eliminated anything that was cheesy or took any work and chose the ones that I would actually go to the trouble of doing myself.  shell = soapdish.  Easy!

I heart this seashell vase!  Greenery from the yard is tucked in this beautiful shell and elevated with a simple footed dish.

Votive candles nestled between large clam shells set in a sand-filled tray make a romantic centerpiece for a summer dinner table or subtle lighting for an evening on the back porch.

Large, heavier shells make lovely and unexpected bookends.

Glue small shells to toothpicks to make your own seafood skewers.  Perfect for a seafood-themed dinner party.

Hot glue a variety of shells to form interesting borders on your flowerpots.  Grouping them on shelves creates a beautiful display, doesn’t it?

Photo Credits:  Kristie Barnett, Martha Stewart.