Techniques for Making Shell Beads
- For the majority of found sea shells, use a Dremel tool and a 0.5mm or 0.8mm bit. Always advance the drill bit in slowly to the point and adjust the speed if necessary. Take the yellow-backed cowrie. Place this shell in a small craft vise or spring clamp. Put on protective eyewear and lightly drill a hole through the top using a Dremel drill fitted with 0.5mm bit.
- To form heishi (hee-shee) beads, do not smash, but break tiny shells into flat, irregular pieces. For better control, use a hand-powered drill, not electric, to make a hole. String the small holed pieces onto a wire and uniformly roll them on fine-grained sandstone or a foot-powered grinding stone until a disk shape is formed. Unfortunately, when using this method, some shells will be lost. Further shape the remaining ones by hand using the finest sandpaper.
Next, wash the strung shells in water and then lay out to dry. Once dry, buff and polish the beads. To create a single strand of heishi will take several days up to a week.
Create beads out of abalone or Quahog clamshells, known as purple wampum. Wearing protective eyewear, break shells into a range of sizes, not shards, using a rock or soft mallet. Find one that you want by sorting through the pieces.
Lay one shell in a shallow container filled with water. After drilling, take the bead out of the water and let it dry. Use fine sandpaper to smooth it out. Wash the bead, let it air-dry again and buff it for a polished finish.
For shells with a hole nearly formed, simply scratch the spot repeatedly with a hardware nail or embroidery needle. - Place the shell onto plasticine or modeling clay to keep it steady when working.
Use tweezers to hold tiny sea shells. Set medium shells onto a 2x4 block before drilling. If thick, drill halfway through the shell, and then flip it over to repeat the same procedure to the opposite side.
A shell is most reliable to drill at its thickest point, usually near the closure or top portion.
If using a diamond drill bit, dip it into a bowl of water before and repeatedly during the process to keep the bit from getting too hot. Use the smallest drill bit available with a china or dental bit as the most effective choice.
