Today I’m sharing a fun DIY wall decor specimen art project that I put together for the gallery wall in my bedroom.
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I had a couple of Melissa and Doug wooden boxes sitting around, leftover from toys that belong to the twins. When it came time to put together my gallery wall, I knew that I finally had a use for these little boxes.
This project came together in a snap!
DIY Sea Urchin Specimen Art – Supplies
- wooden toy boxes
- sand paper, brush, and wood stain – I used Minwax “classic gray”
- Craft glue
- Scrap fabric
- Hanging hardware
- Sea urchin craft shells
DIY Sea Urchin Specimen Art – Instructions
Step 1 – Sand & Stain
Lightly sand the wooden boxes with fine grit sandpaper – mainly focusing on any areas that have logos or ink.
Stain the wood whatever color you would like. I chose chose Minwax “classic gray” because (1) I’ve used it on, like, 27 other projects and I had it lying around, and (2) I think it gives a great beachy, driftwood feel.
Step 2 – Fabric Backing
Glue squares of fabric into the back of wooden box. I recommend using craft glue dots (that won’t seep through the fabric) around the edges and something more heavy-duty, like hot glue, in the center.
This would be a great project for a fat quarter or remnant. I actually used the fabric case that my linen duvet set came in!
Step 3 – Hanging Hardware
Add hardware to the back of each of your wooden boxes. I just used hot glue and leftover hanging hardware from a previous craft project. This would also be a great project for command hooks.
Step 4 – Add Your Specimens
Hot glue your urchin shells into the fabric backing.
That’s it! How easy was that?
Want to see more from my “Cape Cod coastal” bedroom? Click on over to see the full room reveal!
So awesome! I want to do this. Where did you find your sea urchin shells?
Hi Theresa. I actually ordered them off Amazon, but you could also try your local craft supply store.