"One tip though: wear disposable gloves when applying. Learned that after spending forever scrubbing dried silicone off my fingers."
Haha, been there myself—silicone is stubborn stuff once it dries! Totally agree about silicone being the way to go for uneven surfaces. I tackled a driftwood mirror frame last summer, and silicone caulk was a lifesaver. Wood glue's great for flat, smooth joins, but driftwood pieces rarely cooperate like that. Silicone's flexibility really helps fill in those awkward gaps and holds everything securely without cracking over time.
One additional tip I'd throw in: if you're working with driftwood or shells, give them a good rinse and let them dry completely before gluing. Learned that the hard way when sand and grit kept messing up my adhesive bond. Nothing like having to redo half your project because of sneaky beach sand...
Good call on rinsing driftwood first—I overlooked that once and ended up with gritty silicone joints. Another thing I've found helpful is lightly sanding the contact points on driftwood or shells before applying silicone. It gives the adhesive a better grip, especially if the surfaces are super smooth or weathered. And yeah, gloves are a must:
"Learned that after spending forever scrubbing dried silicone off my fingers."
Been there too... silicone residue is no joke.
Good tip about sanding the driftwood—I usually skip that step if the surface feels rough enough, but you're right, smoother pieces can be a pain. I've also found that using rubbing alcohol to quickly wipe down shells or driftwood after sanding helps remove any leftover dust or oils. Makes the silicone stick way better.
And yeah, silicone residue is brutal. Last summer I made a driftwood mirror frame, figured gloves were optional... big mistake. Ended up with silicone fingerprints on everything I touched for days. Lesson learned the hard way, I guess.
Btw, if anyone's looking for cheap beachy decor fillers, check out thrift stores or garage sales for old glass jars or bottles. A little twine wrapped around the neck and some sand or shells inside looks surprisingly good for almost no money.
Haha, silicone fingerprints... been there, done that. Another quick tip—if you're using twine on jars, lightly brushing it with watered-down white glue helps keep it from unraveling later. Learned that after my cat decided twine was her new favorite toy...
