Thursday, June 22, 2006

One of the things I love to find on the beach are sand dollars. My sister and usually scramble to find the most.

They are super delicate though. This is what I found on preserving them.

Soak the sand dollars in fresh water and change the water when it turns brown until the water stays clear. Soak them in a 2/3 water, 1/3 bleach solution for 10 minutes, then let them dry. Once dry brush the surface of the sand dollars with white glue.

I also recommend glueing the little holes in the back shut or they seem to continuously dump out endless amounts of sand.

(have you ever seen the "doves" that are inside of sand dollars?)

10 comments:

  1. What on Earth are sand dollars? I have never seen them before and I cannot for the best of me figure out what they can be? Some kind of "sceleton" from a sea animal, I guess, but what? I am Danish, living in Denmark, and I guess they are not living here. ;o)

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  2. Hmm, is this why the one on my shelf is so sticky?

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  3. When I was a kid, there was a beach near our house where you could find thousands of live sand dollars on a sand bar just a little ways out. We used to pick them up with our toes since we didn't like sticking our heads underwater. When they are alive, they are dark brown and kind of fuzzy all over.

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  4. That is so cool about the "doves". I grew up in Gulf Shores, AL, which is right on the Gulf of Mexico. I picked up many, many sand dollars as a child but never saw (or even knew about) the doves. I will have to make a point to find some sand dollars the next time I go visit to attempt to see the doves.

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  5. This post got me so curious about the doves inside sand dollars - turns out they are teeth. (I love the internet.)

    Bettina, here is the best description of sand dollars I found. http://octopus.gma.org/Tidings/sanddollar.html This site has pictures. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_dollar

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  6. I've always loved the doves. There's a story about them that I can't recall. But I do remember that bleeding hearts (a type of fuscia, I think) and be pulled apart and little shapes come out of it that go with a romantic story. Here's the link

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  7. Hi...I just wanted to let you know that Mod Podge will do the same thing as glue and will leave it actually stronger than the glue will.

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  8. I think the doves are a symbol of Jesus and peace and the 5 straight holes in the sand dollar represent the nails in Jesus' feet, hands, and one hole for the cut in his side by the centurion's spear.

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  9. You're lucky that you can find them whole! In Oregon, they are always broken on the beach because the seagulls like to break them open to eat the insides. I've never found a whole one, ever. What are you making with yours? I bet they would make a cool mobile or garland (pre-punched holes!).

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  10. In all the times I've been to the Outer Banks, I've only seen whole sand dollars once, now I'm a teensy bit jealous! But if I see them when we go this year, at least I'll know how to take care of them!

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