At the end of this topic, you must be able to:
Create/ construct sea shell products made of industrial raw
materials and recyclable materials.
To start, take a look at the pictures below.
NOTE: You need to complete the activity above so that it will be easy for you to
understand the discussion below.
Let me ask you some questions from the previous activity that you have.
1. How many known species of shells are found in the Philippine waters?
What is the biggest? The smallest?
To give you substance understanding of the topic, we will explore the topic more.
Read the content of the lesson on the sea shell crafts.
The 10,850 statute miles coastline of the Philippines is a breeding place of
various seashells of different species. The edible meat rich in calcium commands
a very good price but the greatest bulk of shell is gathered by diver for
commercial sale to shell manufacturing factories. The factory itself has a crew of
divers who migrate from one island to another where seashell beds are
discovered. Seashell products such as lampshades, chandeliers, vases, trays,
decors and others have found profitable outlets abroad and have turned out to
be dollar earners.
Of the so many kinds of seashells like the mother of pearl, ark shells,
script shells, giant clam, and other including kapis shell or lamperong are the
most commercialized as raw materials for seashell cottage industry. Shell
factories sprang up having been motivated by a lucrative market. Window pane
manufacturing was the greatest consumer of lamperong before.
Today, glass jalousies replaced the shells and that resulted to other
lucrative uses for lamperong or kapis shells. Other seashells are used for
ornaments. Laminations, precious articles, the most famous of which is the
mother of pearl shells, locally known as tipay. Tipay can be used as insulating
handles of pistols, knives, key holders, ornaments, can and swager inlays,
decorative edgings on guitars, furniture, and many other articles. Plastics are
used to replace tipay, but this synthetic material cannot replace the qualities of
seashells.
Philippine shells are called balay, talaba, kaligay, paros, puipi, halsan, kabibi.
a. - are often used as children's bathtubs or baptismal fonts. Natives
of Palawan and Sulu call it . This variety of shell comes in different colors,
hence they are good materials for belts and buckles.
b. - consist of two kinds: and
. Pearl shells are used in the manufacture of buttons.
c. - come from clams that grow 2.5 cm a year. They are year. They are
round and flat. The convex capiz is female while the flat shell capiz is the male
species. Capiz shells are made into windowpanes chandeliers, lampshades,
trays, and many more.
The most commercial use of big sea shells is in the making of buttons. The
button factories in manila consume a large portion of the sea shells which are
brought from different parts of the country. Another important use of sea shells
is in the manufacture of window sashes. The shell use for this purpose is locally
called . Some Visayans called this shell while the Ilocanos call it
. Big windows sash factories in manila and other urban centers use quite
a big quantity of this kind of sea shell. Aside from these industrial uses of sea
shells, craft articles are also made out of them. Lamp shades, table lamp vases,
lapel pins, name pins, bracelets, buckles, belts, wall pockets, and flower vases
are also made up of sea shells. Some handicraft stores in manila and other urban
center sell
pg. 24 EE-ELECT 102 Indigenous Creative Craft
some of the best kinds of these handicraft articles. Recently, the making of
picture frames out of a certain variety of sea shell was introduced in the local
craft centers.
Sea shells are hard but brittle. They are easily broken, especially when
dropped on a hard surface or hit by a hard object. When polished, sea shells
have a shiny pearl-like surface.
. Stains, mud, algae, and other dirt9s on seashells are removed by
washing in water diluted with either muriatic acid or detergents. Brushing will
remove the inner dirt9s. Care should be taken not to leave scratches made by a
steel brush. Washed shells are dried under the sun.
, The female kapis shell is concave while the male is flat.
It was the male shell that was used in window panes. Today, concave shells can
be flattened and flat shells can be curved as used for lining receptacles or for
lamination with the use of heat or chemical treatment. Heated shell turn to be
weak and soft.
Shell is hard and brittle. Striking it with a hard object or
with a careless use of an edge-cutting tool causes cracks or breakage. Straight
cut on seashells is done with a hacksaw. A coping saw is used to cut out curves
or on frit work as in pins, or in other intricate work on mother of pearl. Different
cuts of pattern for lampshades and other project made up of pieces of different
parts are cut by punchers shaped to that of the pattern. Mass production has
been attained due to the metallic puncher designed for the purpose. Pile may
also be used to shape.
. Shells are put together with the use of glue duco
cement, tying with nylon cord and lately with metal edging. Some projects like
vase may be attached with stove bolts or screws. Fine wires may be used for
tyers but easily takes rust, hence not durable.
Natural finish is used on seashells. This is done to
display its natural beauty and special luster. Clear gloss lacquer or varnish is
recommended for this purpose. Other varnish may do it properly under-taken.
Opaque finish and paints should not be used with seashells, these finishes
conceal the beauty of the seashells, and hence these must not be used. As a
guide in finishing seashells, only clear gloss finishes are recommended for
finishing seashells.
You need only a few tools in constructing sea shell articles. These tools
are a hand drill, coping saw, small round and triangular files, pocket knife, pliers,
and a small hammer.
The materials you may need in making projects are sea shells of different
sizes and shapes, small crews with nuts, glue, paint, varnish, and shellac.
Cardboard and wire may also be used in some projects. The materials should be
ready before you start making your projects.
Some of the projects which you may be interested in constructing are the
following; a picture frame, an initial pin, a buckle, a lamp shade, or a flower vase.
A special type of blade is used for cutting sea shells. A steel wire, nicked
at regular intervals and attached to a copping saw frame, is also a good blade for
cutting out a buckle, pin, initial, or button. Sea shells should be handled
carefully, because they are brittle. In cutting shells, the blade should be used
with much care, as any careless push or pull of the saw may be destroy the
whole.
A hand drill is used for boring holes on sea shells. These holes may be
enlarged by using a knife or a big drill.
Projects are generally finished by means of three processes, such as
painting, varnishing, or polishing. The best finish that would fit a project should
be selected and used. Much care should be taken in the selection of colors, the
combination of colors, and in making the design itself
Sea shell projects are often painted with little designs depicting local scenes.
Create/ construct sea shell products made of industrial raw
materials and recyclable materials.
The craftwork is The craftwork The craftwork
planned carefully; shows little shows no
understanding of evidence of understanding of
most concepts an understanding the the concepts and
(25%) instructions is concepts and instructions
shown instructions
The craftwork The craftwork The craftwork
shows good shows below shows poor
craftsmanship, average craftsmanship and
(25% with some craftsmanship no attention to
) attention to detail and little detail
attention to
detail
The craftwork The craftwork The craftwork
demonstrates demonstrate lacks evidence of
some personal little personal personal
expression expression expression
(25%)
The student put The student put The student put
forth the effort forth the effort forth no effort or
required to required to finish the project was not
complete the the project well completed
(25%) project well
Dagoon, Salvador C. (1993). Home Technology and Livelihood
Education book I, Rex Book Store.s
Bernardino, Josephine C. (2002). Technology and Livelihood
Education I, Phoenix Publishing House, Inc.
Rafael, Edita T. (2005). Technology and Livelihood Education III,
Phoenix Publishing House, Inc.
Urbiztondo, Laarni a. (2016). ReandicraftMackame and Baskerty. Rex
Bookstore.
Belen, Hermogenes F. Ed.D. (1952) Philippine Creative
Handicraft https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shellcraft
http://shellstreasures.com/philippine-seashells/seashell-
crafts-philippines/
