How to Make a DIY Ring Holder From a Scallop Shell

Turn scallop shells into quirky, one-of-a-kind trinket dishes perfect for holding rings or small treasures. Add cute sea creatures for extra fun in this easy coastal craft!

Updated July 2025

On her way back from France, my aunt stopped by and surprised me with a crate of wine and a bag of scallop shells. I made short work of the wine, but the shells ended up sitting in my craft shed for a year. One of the quirks of being a crafty upcycler is that people love to hand over all sorts of random stuff for me to transform.

I’m always thrilled to receive jeans and jumpers, but sometimes I graciously accept items while secretly wondering, “What on earth am I going to do with this?” The funny thing is, I usually find a way to turn those odd materials into something creative.

That’s precisely what happened with these scallop shells. I ended up using them to make a practical DIY ring holder.

Upcycle A Scallop Shell Ring Holder

The last thing I do every night when I get into bed is to take my rings off and put them on my bedside table. This isn't always the safest place to put them. As they often get knocked off onto the floor as I reach for my phone in the morning.

I know, I hate to admit it, but I'm a slave to my phone. It's the last thing I look at before going to sleep and the first thing I check in the morning. Anyway, I digress; what I needed, besides kicking the phone habit, was a DIY ring holder.

Scallop DIY Ring Holder..

This is a straightforward and quick craft with a gorgeous result, to the point that I even made a few of these DIY ring holders. They make a perfect handmade gift.

To complement the seaside theme of the scallop shells, I added a touch of quirkiness to my DIY ring holders by attaching a small sea creature. As a bit of a Marimekko fan, I decoupaged the outside of the shells with some Marimekko napkins to add to their overall gorgeousness.

Materials Needed

• Scallop Shells - you may not have an aunt to give you some, but all's not lost. These shells are relatively easily obtained from your local supermarket or fishmonger. Most prepared scallop dishes are served in these shells. You can even buy them online (click here)
• Small plastic sea creatures - I had these left over from my upcycled toys frame.
• Napkins to decoupage the outside - as you may already know, I love Marimekko and they do some lovely sea-themed paper napkins (Merivuokko) that are perfect for this.
• Spray paints - I used copper, gold, and a metallic transparent pink, but feel free to use whatever you have or fancy using.
• PVA glue, Mod Podge/Decoupage glue, or Resin glue.
• Small glue brushes and pads.

How to Make Shell Ring Holders

As I had a lot of shells and they make great gifts, I made three DIY ring holders.

Step 1 Spray Painting: First, I spray-painted the inside of my shells in my chosen colours. I do love a bit of copper, and it goes with my home decor, so I sprayed one copper and then the others gold and metallic pink just because I already had those colours in my craft cupboard.

I spray-painted the sea creatures the same colour as the shells.

Step 2: Decoupage: Decoupage the outside of the shells to create a beautiful, finished look. Separate the three-ply napkins and use only the top layer. Use a brush and a little water to wet the napkin where you want to tear it—tearing creates a soft, feathered edge that blends nicely. Apply small strips of the napkin one at a time to the outside of the shell, gently patting them down with a soft pad instead of a brush to avoid tearing the delicate paper. After covering the shells completely and letting them dry, apply at least one coat of PVA glue or Mod Podge to seal and protect the surface.

Step 3: To complete the project, the sea creatures were securely attached to the centre of each shell using a strong resin adhesive.

I have the copper DIY ring holder with the penguin on my bedside table. The penguin is just the perfect shape for hanging rings on—the others I have gifted to friends.

If you still have some more scallop shells you can make one of these shell napkin holders. And if you liked this post, you may also enjoy some of these other seashell crafts.

Decoupage Shell Dish

DIY Clay Trinket Dish
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Spring fabric birdcages
DIy Jewelry -Upcycled Silk Scarf Necklace