Shells and Seaside Ornaments - Christmas for Ocean lovers

Childhood vacations at the beach near Asbury Park, NJ were the beginning of my love affair with the seaside. There were lazy days spent lying on the beach or walking in the edge of the surf collecting shells. Some days, spent endlessly riding the waves, I felt part of the ocean, and, at night in bed, I could close my eyes and feel the waves rocking me to sleep. The smell of salty air embedded itself somewhere in my brain so that I can recall it when I look at photographs of the sea and the beach.

Now, many beaches and many years later, the smell of salt air and the sound of crashing waves always makes me happy. In lieu of actually being at the beach, I have a scattering of seashells around my house, collections that came from beaches from the Atlantic to the Pacific coasts. There are little bowls of shells in every room. A big basket of shells in the living room holds a collection of broken shells that I love. The shells overflow out the front door and decorate the flower boxes on my front porch.

You don’t have to grow up at the seaside to fall in love with beaches. Spending a memorable vacation at the beach can do it, and you’ll want to keep those wonderful memories fresh. One way to do that is to have mementos of the seaside around you.

Because I love seaside themes that remind me of my favorite beaches, I am intrigued by the idea of adding some seaside ornaments to my Christmas tree, or even of decorating my entire tree in a seaside theme. Perhaps you’ll find an ornament here that will bring back memories of your favorite beach spot, or of a wonderful vacation.

How many hours have you spent beach combing and picking up pretty shells on the beach? If you have baskets of shells in your home to remind you of beach combing days, you'll love seeing these Pearlized sea shell ornaments on your Christmas tree. Add miniature white or colored lights that will reflect off the ornaments for a beautiful beach theme.

For an elegant touch, add some of these hand blown glass shell ornaments to your tree or mantle. These will also make a unique gift for someone special who loves the seaside.

What could be more authentic than some of these Mexican seashell ornaments made of real shells? Wouldn't they be perfect to add to your Christmas wreath?

If you don't want to make your own, you can purchase a ready made seashell wreath complete with shells and starfish.

Combine colorful fish ornaments with shell ornaments for a seaside theme. Fish ornaments range from colorful unbreakable ornaments to sparkly sequined fish that will catch the lights of your Christmas tree.

Mix fish ornaments with shells and lighthouses on your tree, or add them to wreaths. These cute tropical fish can also be used to decorate gifts for the fishermen in your life!

Keep memories of that wonderful seaside vacation alive by hanging one of these Hallmark seaside scene ornaments on your tree. Or give one to each family member as a memento of a summer at the beach.

Add a unique look to your mantle or tree with these unusual seashell Christmas lights.

Choose strands of tiny conch shells or tropical shells to complete the seaside theme on your tree. Or string a set of seashell lights along a shelf or mantle decorated with mementos of your beach vacation.

We love to watch the surfers riding the waves near Cape Hatteras lighthouse. Although its much too cold for surfing in December, the whimsical Santa On a Surfboard ornament will surely appeal to the surfer on your gift list and serve as a lasting memory of that wonderful summer on the beach.

Beach houses and guest houses with comfortable Adirondack chairs on their porches overlooking the beach are icons of a seaside vacation. Perhaps the Adirondack Beach Chair ornament will bring back memories of those lazy days spent reading on the beach or on the veranda overlooking the water.

Lighthouses remind me of summers spent on the Outer Banks where one can walk up the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse for a fabulous view of Hatteras Island. These Lighthouse ornaments also bring to mind lighthouses on The great Lakes and the Pacific Northwest where we spent some incredible vacations.

Perhaps you have a special memory of a light house that you visited while on vacation? Or maybe you know someone who loves lighthouses and collects them. They are sure to love a Lighthouse Ornament as a stocking stuffer or a special decoration on their gift box.

You may even want to splurge and get them a Solar Powered Garden Lighthouse for their flower bed or garden! The three foot tall solar powered garden lighthouses will send their beam through the night for up to 10 hours - no wires or installation required! Just stand them where they will get some sunshine during the day for hours of light after dark.

Whether you decide on seashells or lighthouses for your tree, or decorate your Christmas door wreath in a seaside theme, these little mementos can be a pleasant reminder of your seaside vacation. It will be even more fun to share them with the people who shared the good times with you! Have a very Happy Holiday!