The other day we went to a local beach for our dog walk and Kiki was fascinated by all the oyster shells on the beach. She started collecting them, so often does this with stones and shells , but instead of putting them back on the beach when we leave this time I thought lets take some home and do a fun craft.

So nice to go out, find shells and then turn them into a fun decorative item. Have a look at the video to see out beach walk and how we made the candles.

Candles and toddlers don’t mix well but Kiki could help me with the washing of the shells and taking the tea lights apart. She even watched when I melted the candle wax but I made sure she was for away from me when I poured the hot wax in the shells.

This is the first tutorial I did where I don't talk you through the step by steps, do you like this style of video? Is it clear enough what you have to do? I would love to hear your feedback.

beach forested oyster candles, diy by www.hestershandmadehome.com

Kind of love the irony of making pretty table settings while we are in tier 3 Covid lockdown (we’re not allowed to have guest indoors) I don’t know when we will be having friends or family round our table again but that doesn’t stop me making the table look pretty for just the 3 of us.

I used tea lights to make the candles but you could use old bits of candle sticks or even the last bits of a scented candle. You can buy wicks online or use the wicks from the tea lights ones like I did here.

If you question the food laid out on the table, this was a spur of the moment video so I had to raid the fridge for anything looking slightly festive and all I could find was a piece of brie, cranberry sauce and melba toast :)

How lovely do these oyster shell candles look! As with any candle keep en eye on them when lit especially these candles as they don’t burn for long. Make sure your kids/pet don’t come to close or have any other decor like flowers/napkins to close to the flame.

So next time you see a nice shell, pick it up and turn it into a candle :)