Savor Summer Memories

With summer coming to an end, it is time to finally do something with our collected mementos from our vacays and trips. So rather than let them sit in a bag or bucket in the garage let’s make them into a beautiful tribute to our summer memories that we can enjoy for years to come.

I recently went on a “Girls Only” float trip with some of my most favorite women. During the trip I collected some really interesting rocks and have decided they will make a very cool tabletop totem.

You can follow this cleaning/prep process for any of your momentos that will tolerate soaking in water…. seashells, rocks, driftwood, etc.

Gather your items in sink/basin/bucket…. wherever you decide to soak and clean your items. I chose my kitchen sink as my rocks are small-ish and not filthy.

Sprinkle baking soda over top of items to be cleaned.

Pour white vinegar over top of items to be cleaned until covered by bubbles.

Once bubbling has stopped, add warm water and a squirt of gentle liquid soap (I used Norwex Dish Liquid). Fill sink to cover the tops of items to be cleaned. Allow to soak for at least 30 minutes.

After soaking for at least 30 minutes, scrub items gently with a soft bristled brush. Return items to soak for at least another 30 minutes.

Rinse thoroughly ….. make sure to get all sides rinsed well.

Allow to air dry completely.

Place a protective surface under your completely dried items. Apply a light coat of gloss. I am using high gloss Mod Podge spray, but you can use baby oil, high gloss sealer or spray paint. Allow to dry. Repeat.

Assemble your project using E6000 glue. Wear gloves and assemble in a well ventilated area. Allow project to dry for at least 24 hours. Packaging instructions state that full strength of glue may take up to 72 hours to achieve.

Patience is NOT my virtue!! During assembly of my rock totem I had to just walk away in between layers….for HOURS…. otherwise I just kept breaking the glue bond checking to see if it was ready for the next layer. Walk away, peeps, walk away!! Here is where I stand at the 24 hour mark…. all my rocks are in place. Going to add the driftwood next.

Driftwood has been added and it looks like a perfect picture holder to me! Now to leave it alone for a few days to let the glue cure completely!!

Hope you enjoy this project and create some amazing things of your own. Here are some ideas I gathered from various sites that will get you inspired!! See you soon 👀

Grab a gallery frame… put cool scrapbook paper in the frames…. glue your shells and momentos to the outside of the frames.

Using mason jar lids…. hot glue the lid to the ring …. create your scene …. pour resin over momentos to fill lid almost full…. allow to harden.

These adorable bottles are available everywhere, but I was seriously surprised at the selection at our local Michaels …. don’t forget your coupons. Cut a slit in the cork, add a dab of glue to your awesome paperclip, insert in cork slit, and let dry. Embellish as desired.

These cool containers are available at our local Dollar Tree and are magnetized!! I have these things all over my fridge holding small things like thumbtacks, paperclips, etc….. who knew!! So, insert your photo in the background (use E6000 glue) …. once dried, create your scene, get your E6000 glue again, apply to rim, add lid, allow to dry.

Use E6000 to attach moments to mirror in desired arrangement. Remember to allow drying time of 24-72 hours before hanging upright. We don’t want your hard work to just slide right off!

Ok, so here is my experience with these. I used hot glue on the entire project (patience isn’t my thing, like I said) and it looked amazing but only lasted a little while before the shells started falling off. In the re-do, I hot glued the shells to the foam ball, but then used E6000 when overlapping the shells, and added 2 coats of spray gloss Mod Podge after everything had cured for 72 hours. It has lasted for YEARS!

LOVE THIS!! You can use glass balls or plastic balls, especially if you have little ones that like to touch everything 😁

How cool is this?!?! E6000 glue your items to a foam cone to create a shell/rock/driftwood tree. Once the glue has cured for 72 hours, add 2 coats of gloss sealer for extra WOW factor.

Paint your canvas and allow to dry completely. Cover area to be used as the beach with adhesive of your choice (clear Mod Podge would be my preference), add sand, allow to dry… add shells, rocks, driftwood, etc with E6000 glue. Allow to cure for 72 hours. Seal if desired.

Cover rocks with paper maps of the area you visited. Use paper mache mixture (glue/water), allow to dry completely, and seal.

Use paint and washi tape to add interest to collected rocks. Seal. Display as vase fillers, in interesting glassware, on mantles/shelves, or E6000 glue jewelry attachments on to the rocks and wear your momentos.

E6000 glue your momentos to create unique art.

Create candleholders …. add sharpie doodles….E6000 glue arrangement together…. add tea lights…. voila!

* (Sealer is flammable so I wouldn’t seal these)

E6000 glue momentos to create unique drawer pulls, cabinet handles, and hooks.

Create table lamps with your larger collected items.

Use momentos as fillers.

E6000 glue momentos to a picture frame.

Create wire spirals around your rocks and seashells to hang as wind spinners.

Disclaimers * I do not receive anything from E6000 glue … I just want your projects to last a long time and have had great success with this product. As many times as I typed it, I felt I needed to say this. * I am an independent consultant for Norwex.