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NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – Each year, thousands of oysters are consumed at the New Orleans Oyster Festival. So what do you do with all those oyster shells? You could make a stylish oyster shell hatband to secure and dress up your straw hats this summer.
Here’s how to make it!
Materials:
- 8 Oyster shells
- 1/4″ strands of colored ribbon. (You’ll need something to support the weight of the oysters)
- 1 Straw hat
- Acrylic craft paint
- Glitter
- Rhinestones
- Decoupage glue (Mod Podge)
- Hot glue
- Drill — Bit size depends on the size of the ribbon you’re going to use. We used 1/4” bit with 3 strands of ¼” ribbon.
Steps:
- Scrub, bleach and air dry oyster shells
- Carefully drill 2 holes in the back of each shell to avoid chipping
- Paint the front of each shell and let dry
- Seal front of oyster shell with decoupage glue. Sprinkle with glitter and let dry
- Weave each ribbon horizontally across the length of the shell. Do this one at a time
- Hot glue rhinestones on shells
- Attach oyster shells to hat
- Tie extra ribbon in between each oyster shell for decoration
- Using decoupage paint areas of the straw hat and sprinkle with glitter
- Enjoy in the sun!