Make these Oyster Trinket Trays with a Nautical Feel

Since I can’t get to the beach this summer, I decided to bring a little bit of the beach to my home decor. Being a New England transplant living in New Orleans, I’ve always associated summer with .the ocean and seafood. These Oyster trinket trays add that nautical feel that I’ve been craving while serving as a stylish organization accessory.

These trays look so elegant that you would never guess they are lined with inexpensive paper napkins, I used an ikat pattern and the same Marimekko pattern that I used on the terra cotta planters. However, pattern options are limitless. I also love how versatile these trinket trays are! You can use them to hold jewelry, office supplies, or you can incorporate them into your table setting.

Materials:

• 
  Oyster shells
  
• Decorative paper napkins
• Mod Podge
• Paintbrush
• Sandpaper
• White paint

In New Orleans, oysters are a big part of the local cuisine and you can actually find the shells scattered on the sides of the road. If you don’t happen to live somewhere where oysters are easy to come by, you can purchase them in bulk online.

Directions:
Clean and dry oyster shells thoroughly.
Next, paint the inside of the oyster shells white. Because you’ll be using a thin piece of paper to cover the inside of the shell, the dark markings on the shell may show through if you skip this step.

Once the paint is dry, peel the napkin apart so that you’re left with one thin layer of patterned paper. Discard the white backing.

Cover the inside of the shell with a layer of Mod Podge. Lay the napkin pattern side up flat against the inside of the shell smoothing out any air bubbles or wrinkles.

Carefully tear away and the excess paper from the shell. The napkin should adhere to wherever you put your Mod Podge down on your shell. Use the sandpaper to remove any excess napkin pieces from around the edges.

Once it looks even, spread a layer of Mod Podge on top of the napkin layer to steal it in.

After the Mod Podge is dry, paint the outer edge of the shell with gold or gold leaf paint.