This Dollar Store Nautical Specimen Art is the perfect craft project for bringing in beach vibes without breaking the bank.
How to make nautical specimen art.
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Why I love this craft
If you’ve followed me for any amount of time then you know how much I like the nautical, beach with a combination of farmhouse themes. So this unique specimen art decor was something I knew I had to try, especially using one of my favorite crafting materials – bamboo cutting boards from Dollar Tree!
Hot glue vs. Wood glue vs. E6000
You may notice that I typically fluctuate between these three types of glues for most of my projects. There are times when I only use one or a combination of them and you may not fully know why. When I’m not in a hurry for something to try, I can use just wood glue.
In other times when I’m looking for a quick dry and a stronger hold, I’ll use a dab of hot glue for the quick dry along with a dab of E6000 (or wood glue) for a stronger and more permanent hold. E6000 alone is also a good solid, but not so quick with drying option and it’s what I used for this particular craft project.
The inspiration for this craft:
I’ve made lots of nautical decor over the years, but I’d have to say that my inspiration came from my newfound love for specimen art craft projects.
Video Tutorial: Dollar Store Nautical Specimen Art
Watch this quick video to see how this craft came together:
Dollar Store Nautical Specimen Art
This Dollar Store Nautical Specimen Art is the perfect craft project for bringing in spring and summer beach vibes.
Materials
- 2 bamboo cutting boards (Dollar Tree)
- bag of sea glass pieces (Dollar Tree)
- bag of small seashells (Dollar Tree)
- E6000 glue
- White rustoleum chalk paint
- grey chalk paint
- hot glue
- jute rope
Tools
- 1" paintbrush
Instructions
- Watch the video. Follow along with the tutorial video for a walkthrough on how to make your own nautical specimen art.
- Add a white-washed surface. Combine a little bit of water with some white rustoleum chalk paint to create a watered down paint. Cover the bamboo cutting boards in this white wash. I added another layer by also adding gray paint. Let it dry completely.
- Dry fit embellishments. Start by dry fitting the sea glass. Watch the video to see how I placed mine. Do the same for the sea shells.
- Secure the pieces. Use the tiniest dab of E6000 glue to secure each of the shells and sea glass pieces. Let it dry completely.
- Add jute rope border. Start on one part of the border and hot glue jute rope around until you get to the starting point.
The Finished Craft
Don’t forget to PIN this craft for later:
