Sea urchin ornaments

[John Terefenko]

Next year I would like to sell some sea urchin ornaments so thought I may get started on production over the winter. Have a few questions. First where is a good place to buy them?? What types are good to use?? I have seen colored ones, how do you color or dye them?? I also seen some fancy finials. Is this something that sells bette?? Do you fill them to keep from being fragile and if so with what?? How do you attach finials. ?? I know alot of questions but basically looking for pointers and tips to get started. Also if you have photos I would love to see them. Thanks in advance.

 

[Tim Connell]

Can't tell you about sales, I just made them this year for the first time for family. I got them from https://richardsseashells.com/sea-urchins

I made some from both the large and small sputnik shells plus one from an Austrialis shell that's pictured below.

I filled the shells with spray foam, and probably wouldn't do that again. Messy, not sure they need that much reinforcement, and if you get any on the outer shell it is next to impossible to remove. Others I have read coated the shells with ordinary white glue or sprayed a couple coats of lacquer.

I made the finials with short tenons that were a little undersized so I had room to adjust alignment if needed. The base of the finials overlap the shells just slightly, and I had to grind a few spines off for them to sit flat on the shells. Attached with 5 minute epoxy.

Others will drill a small hole in each finial and use a skewer through the shell to attach them. I use brass eye screws to hang them.

This one is about 5" overall height and I think the shell was a little under 1.75" diameter. Apple used for the finials with shellac finish.

 

[Doug Freeman]

I’ve made a couple dozen over the past couple of years for friends and family. Richards linked above is a good source, the one I used. Cindy Drozda and others have utube vids on making them. Dont know how to color them but I suspect pens could work, spray or dunk them in dye. I coat the inside with Elmers clear glue with a small brush. Some I have sprayed the outside with lacquer but I’m concerned they will yellow with time. They dont have to coated on the outside. Various methods to attach finials - glue to the shell, small dowel ~ 1/8” inserted into finials, larger dowel drilled out and used as a mortice to insert tenons of finials. They are a bit fragile but can be glued back together with elmers or wood glue. Finial design is up to you. Here are a few bad pics of some of mine. Walnut and color ply for finials.

 

[Dean Center]

I did a quick search on the AAW's Explore feature and got 40 hits for "ornaments", both article and video. Wow.
Three were specific to sea urchins:
Bob Rosand, Fall 2007
David Lutrick, Fall 2009
Dennis Belcher, December 2014

Also, Cindy Drozda sells sea urchins. (but, darn it, they don't come with ready made finials)

 

[John Terefenko]

Very nice. I like seeing examples. I will do a search here for those links. Thanks. May have to check for some videos on the net too. I think turning the finials will be the challenge. Do not want to make too thin and fragile but do not want to overwhelm the urchin seashell either. Seems to be a fine line. Thanks everyone. If others have examples love to see them.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

Ashley Harwood is also known for sea urchin ornaments.

 

[Curt Fuller]

I made 15 urchin ornaments this year and sold them all at a local community art center. I bought my shells here https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Small-Sp...065287?hash=item5242bdfbc7:g:eOwAAOSwjPVdpgM- . I bought a group of 9 and a couple were broken when they arrived. I emailed the seller asking them to replace the broken ones and they sent a full 9 shells to replace them. So that was good. Now thru summer is a good time to buy the shells as the price goes up with the demand towards Christmas. I use Cindy Drozda's instructions and they work well. I like the smaller shells (1.5-2") best but that's just a matter of personal preference. This year I colored all of the shells either with interference paints or metal leaf and dyed most of the wooden finials and icicles.

 

[Tim Connell]

Particularly helpful for me was an article in AW February 2014 by Jo Larese titled "Finial Fundamentals" that really helped me in the mechanics of turning them.

There are also several articles by Cindy Drozda on designing them that were particularly helpful. If you don't find them, I'll take a look for a reference.

BTW, I agree with Curtis, after making large and small ones, I like the look of the smaller ones I made better.

 

[John Terefenko]

I made 15 urchin ornaments this year and sold them all at a local community art center. I bought my shells here https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Small-Sp...065287?hash=item5242bdfbc7:g:eOwAAOSwjPVdpgM- . I bought a group of 9 and a couple were broken when they arrived. I emailed the seller asking them to replace the broken ones and they sent a full 9 shells to replace them. So that was good. Now thru summer is a good time to buy the shells as the price goes up with the demand towards Christmas. I use Cindy Drozda's instructions and they work well. I like the smaller shells (1.5-2") best but that's just a matter of personal preference. This year I colored all of the shells either with interference paints or metal leaf and dyed most of the wooden finials and icicles.
View attachment 36565 View attachment 36566 View attachment 36567

I love the look of these. It seems these type shells work better too. Hope you do not mind but may copy the finials. Thanks everyone.

 

[Richard Aldrich]

John
Mark Sillay does them as well. He uses "Toothpick Technology" to join the top and bottom with a toothpick.

I looked for the demo handout but was unable to find it.

Mark uses a cone shaped abrasive bit to round out the top and bottom holes in the shell to prepare for the internal tenons.

 

[Charles Cadenhead]

Ashley Harwood is also known for sea urchin ornaments.

She made a couple of hundred this year. I believe she has a YouTube video out about it.

 

[Richard Aldrich]

John. Craft supply has an instruction sheet on making shell ornaments on their site. Click on sea urchin shells and see the instructions.

 

[Glenn Lefley]

I did a quick search on the AAW's Explore feature and got 40 hits for "ornaments", both article and video. Wow.
Three were specific to sea urchins:
Bob Rosand, Fall 2007
David Lutrick, Fall 2009
Dennis Belcher, December 2014

Also, Cindy Drozda sells sea urchins. (but, darn it, they don't come with ready made finials)

I’m sure if you ask , you definitely can get one with a finial!