Sea creatures are notoriously shy, but the ones you see here came out of their shells (so to speak) to tell you their stories. These koalas find the climate in the northern hemisphere too clammy for their taste. A eucalyptus tree of two long razor clams decorated with ring-topped cowries helps them feel at home. The baby rabbit's mini-mussel ears perked right up when his mom served him this shell-carrot dinner on a sea-biscuit plate. To make these and other shell creatures, follow our how-to below.

Tools and Materials
Shells of many colors and sizes
Seed beads
Polymer clay
Craft glue
Paint brush

Shell Animal How-To
1. Collect shells -- ordinary or unusual -- at the seashore or from gift shops.

2. Experiment with different combinations to come up with a shape before gluing everything in place. Use small cushions of polymer clay to test out various arrangements.

3. Build heads and bodies separately, gluing on small features such as noses, eyes, ears, or paws before joining larger parts. Bivalve shells, such as clams or scallops, are hinged; glue the edges together to form stout bodies. Seed beads make bright eyes.

4. For small parts, apply glue with a brush. Use polymer clay to support the creatures while the glue is drying.