Companion Journal, Motif Magic Book Volume I, Sea Glass Journal, The Sea Glass Inheritance
The Magic of Florida’s Shell Trees
Jul
There are certain places that become part of your story.
Not because they’re famous.
Not because they’re grand.
But because they quietly remind you of the kind of person you want to be.
For me, shell trees are one of those places.
I’ve been visiting Florida’s shell trees for more than twenty years. They’ve appeared in my livestream podcast, my beach videos, my pattern photography, my books, and countless peaceful beach walks. They’re one of those simple coastal traditions that many visitors discover by accident—and never forget.
What Is a Shell Tree?
A shell tree begins as little more than a piece of driftwood.
Sometimes it’s a weathered tree that washed ashore. Sometimes it’s the sun-bleached remains of a mangrove. Whatever its origin, someone decides to decorate it with shells.
Then another person adds one.
And another.
Soon hundreds—even thousands—of seashells dangle from its branches, gently clicking together whenever the Gulf breeze blows through.
Each shell was chosen by someone.
Each one represents a moment spent walking the beach.
Each one is a tiny gift left behind for the next person to discover.
No sign tells people to participate.
They simply do.
Beauty Created Together
That’s what I love most about shell trees.
No one owns them.
No one gets credit.
They exist because complete strangers choose to make something more beautiful than they found it.
It’s community art without meetings.
Kindness without recognition.
Creativity without competition.
Every visitor contributes just a little.
Together, those tiny contributions become something extraordinary.
Hurricane Ian Changed Everything
When Hurricane Ian swept through Southwest Florida, many of my favorite shell trees disappeared.
Some were washed away.
Others broke apart under the force of the storm.
It was heartbreaking to visit beaches I’d loved for years and realize those familiar landmarks were gone.
But something wonderful happened afterward.
People started decorating new driftwood.
Little by little…
Shell by shell…
The tradition returned.
That, to me, is the real magic.
A shell tree isn’t the wood.
It’s the people.
As long as people continue leaving tiny gifts for strangers, shell trees will always come back.
A Personal Memory
While sorting through old photographs recently, I stumbled across something that made me smile.
Ten years ago, while photographing my first independently published craft book, Motif Magic, I had draped several knit and crochet shawls across one of the shell trees at Barefoot Beach Preserve.
At the time, I simply thought it made a beautiful backdrop.
Looking back, I don’t think I chose the shell tree simply because it made a beautiful backdrop. Even then, I was drawn to things made by hand. My shawls represented hundreds of stitches, and the shell tree represented hundreds of thoughtful visitors. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was photographing two kinds of handmade art together.
I don’t think I understood that connection back then. I certainly do now.
A Lesson Worth Carrying Home
You don’t have to live near the beach to create a shell tree mindset.
Leave something beautiful behind.
Plant flowers someone else will enjoy.
Leave a handwritten note.
Create something with your hands.
Share knowledge.
Encourage a stranger.
Small acts accumulate.
Just like shells on a weathered branch.
One person may not transform the world overnight.
But one shell becomes two.
Two become twenty.
Twenty become hundreds.
Before long, something ordinary becomes unforgettable.
Maybe that’s why I always smile when I discover a shell tree on one of my beach walks.
It reminds me that beauty isn’t always found.
Sometimes it’s made.
One small gift at a time.
The Sea Glass Journal
Shell trees have been part of my Florida life for more than twenty years, so it felt only natural that they would become part of Tess’s story in The Sea Glass Journal. Throughout this Companion Journal, I’ll be sharing the real places, traditions, and experiences that inspired the fictional world of the Sea Glass trilogy. I hope these stories inspire you to slow down, notice the beauty around you, and perhaps leave a little beauty behind for someone else.
Where Can You Find Florida Shell Trees?
You can find them all over Florida (and maybe all over the world) but here are a few of the beaches I have enjoyed the magic of Shell Trees:
- Barefoot Beach Preserve
- Delnor Wiggins State Park
- Little Hickory Beach
- Sanibel Island
- Captiva Island
- Marco Island
Meet Kristin
I’m Kristin Omdahl—author, designer, and creator.
The Companion Journal is where all of my creative passions come together.
It’s the space between fiction and real life.
Between imagination and inspiration.
I hope you’ll visit often.
xoxo, Kristin
