Seashell Collecting Bags

We are home!!  My brain is mush slowly returning to business/blog mode and not so much vacation mode.  We had a wonderful time in Garden City Beach, SC and are already discussing returning to the beach in two years to do this again.  Can't wait!! 

This is a project that I did before we left and it turned out beautifully! 

Before vacation began, I had children who were looking forward to collecting shells on the beach.  I also knew my nephews and niece were excited about this as well...

AND you know how much I enjoy coming up with projects for me to do at the last minute.

My brain child was lets make these guys each a bag to collect their seashells in??? I tossed around a couple ideas of how to make them when I thought to myself: "Self? You know you are probably NOT the first person to think of this idea, so let's take a peak online."

My first thought was to recycle old pillowcases: add a drawstring and a handle and call it a day. But when I began to research I found that seashells are wet and generally nasty when found.  (Ha! As if I didn't already know this!) So when you collect them in a nice waterproof Walmart plastic shopping bag, by the end of the week, they stink. 

Enter the Seashell Collecting Bag

It was a pretty big hit among the family. I even had a 9 yr old nephew come and tell me twice...TWICE

"Thank you for the bag Aunt Julie.  I really like it!!"

I won't name names or anything...

Well there ya go. It may have been last minute, but I'm so glad I took the time.

Here are 4 of the 9 children that received a bag:

This was nighttime, hence the sub-par photos, but they were good sports. 

I found a tutorial online for a seashell collecting bag HERE.  I made one BIG change but generally followed the tutorial as stated there.  I'll let you know what that is later.

My materials consisted of 1 yd of fabric, 1 flat sheet, 4 mesh laundry bags from the Dollar Tree, matching thread, 1/2" bias tape.

I was soooo excited when I found the mesh laundry bags at the Dollar Tree!!  I paid $1 per bag and got 4 seashell bags from ONE of them!  That was .20c per bag!!  Way better than buying mesh at the fabric store I tell ya!

I went through my fabric stash and found this great striped fabric in girly colors and a striped flat sheet I purchased forever ago from Walmart on clearance in boyish colors.  The colors worked perfectly for the mesh bags I got at the Dollar Tree.  Girls got red, and boys got blue.  I had to buy the mesh laundry bags and one package of bias tape.

You don't want to line this bag because you need it to be light and breezy.  The mesh dries very fast, especially out on the breezy beach.  The one change I made to the tutorial I linked to is not in the look/style of the bag but in the construction.  After I sewed up the sides of the mesh fabric, I attached the bias tape INSTEAD of ribbon.  I don't believe that her ribbon completely enclosed the edges of the mesh inside the bag and that's what I wanted.  It helps sturdy up the bag where the mesh seams are. 

I also wanted handles that were nice and long so my tall nephews could wear them as a messenger style bag.  That worked out beautifully as you can see in the first second photo.  The girls are 4, 4, and 2 so their bag straps were shorter to accomodate shorter bodies. 

This is the epitome of my daughter on most days however it's the only photo I have of her wearing her bag.  Doesn't quite get the idea of a "crossbody" bag. 

I wish I had some beautiful by the ocean/on the beach photos of the kids collecting their shells but the week just did NOT work out that way!  Believe me. We tried!

Come back in a day or so to see some of the fun we had! 

And just because a baby photo makes every post that much better...here ya go.

 

Yes. She has large blue eyes like her big sister and crazy tons of hair.