Garlands

• Purchase real or artificial green garland from a craft or discount store. Prepare shells for hanging by drilling two holes in the top and passing a piece of brass wire through. Hang three-dimensional shells such as babylonia japonica or spirata, frog shells, Indian Tonna, natural petholatus and snail shells from the garland, spaced evenly across the strand. Highlight each shell by tying a gold, silver or pearl ribbon at the top of the wire.
  
  

Tree Toppers

• Large starfish make natural and easy tree toppers, whether left in their original color or painted gold or pearl. Decorate with pearls for a fancier look. Affix the starfish to the top branch with wire. Large baking-dish scallop shells can be transformed into tree toppers with the application of metallic paint or craft glue and glitter. Use a 1/16-inch drill bit to create two small holes through the shell at the bottom and thread a 10-inch length of brass wire through them to be used to twist onto the tree branch. A single decoration such as a star, rosette or pearl can be hot-glued directly over the exposed wire to hide it.
  
  

Ornaments

• Make beautiful seashell hanging ornaments by spray painting flat shells such as scallops, nautilus, starfish or sand dollars. Choose colors that match your room theme, or select metallics to accent any decor. Drill holes in the top of each shell with a small drill bit, and hang shells with decorative ribbons. Shells can be decorated with pearls, tiny rosettes, foil stars, florist berries and baby's breath. A tree decorated completely in shells makes a dramatic statement.
  
  

Wreaths

• Green wreaths purchased from the local nursery can be made nautical by affixing white sand dollars and thin white finger or pencil starfish to the branches, allowing plenty of green to show. Finish off with a simple red velvet bow. Make a shell-cluster wreath by purchasing a foam wreath form from a craft store and hot gluing small shells such as scallops, cowries, land snails, canarium, olives, mitra reginas and mules ear abalones all over the form. For a dramatic wreath, hot glue white scallop shells evenly spaced around the circumference of the wreath form, and then glue clusters of tiny shells in between each shell. Hang with a sturdy fabric blue bow.