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This is a fun way to preserve beach memories all year round. I did this DIY after a trip to Costa Rica. A common phrase there is Pura Vida, meaning Pure Life. The people are laid back, all about just living life, and enjoying every moment. Not a bad way to live.

For this beach sand DIY you will need….

• Sand or crushed up shells from your beach trip.
• A piece of slate (you could use wood)
• Glue that dries clear
• A sealer glue
• Toothpick

Step 1) Lay all of your sand/shells out and let them dry completely.

 Step 2) Seal your slate with decoupage glue and sealer.

 It will be very shiny, let dry completely.

Step 3) Once the slate and sand are dry use the All-Purpose Glue to write your letters. You can do these one letter at a time, or one word at a time. Make sure you look ahead to check your spacing, you do not want to run out of room. You could even use a pencil to draw the letters first, if you are not confident of your free hand skills.

Step 4) Sprinkle the sand or crushed shells onto the glue letters.

The more the better.

Now hold the slate up over your pile of dry sand and let the sand that has not attached to the glue fall back to the pile.

Step 5) Take the toothpick and begin to “define” the edges of the letter.

Repeat Sprinkling the sand, dumping the excess, and defining the edges of the letter until you feel you have the glue covered, and the shape you want.

Step 6) Repeat this process with all of your letters.

Step 7) Once you are finished with all of your letters, let them dry. Once completely dry seal the words, and the slate with the decoupage glue and sealer. Be sure to seal the letters well, this will keep the sand/shells from falling off.

Let your beach words dry completely, then hang up, and display. What a fun reminder of wonderful memories…

I would love to see how your “beach words” turn out.

What wonderful beach memories does this project bring to mind?