DIY Driftwood Garland

This driftwood garland was created as part of a sponsored post for Visit Panama City Beach, CVB.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Do you have a happy place?  A place that just makes you feel calm from the inside out?  The beach is definitely mine!  I had the chance to go to Panama City Beach, Florida earlier this month and it was truly a slice of heaven.  I’ve never been to the beach this late in the year but it was perfect … and I can’t wait to go back.  I made this DIY driftwood garland as a souvenir of an amazing weekend but before I share the tutorial, let me tell you about all the fabulous places I visited on this Decor by the Shore press trip in Panama City Beach!  You’ll want to add these to your itinerary when you visit!

Right from the start, Panama City Beach exceeded my expectations.  It’s a city that has miles of miles of white sandy beaches, fabulous restaurants, and delightful shops.

I stayed at Sunrise Beach Resort, a condominium resort right on the beach.  With a corner condo, I had stunning views of every sunrise and sunset, and everything in between.  The sound of the waves crashing on the shore is my favorite sound in the world!

I met my group for dinner the first night at Schooner’s, a fun and delicious restaurant with an oceanfront view and mouth-watering sauteed crab claws.  We arrived after the sun went down but apparently they have a ceremonial blasting of a cannon at sunset every night, something the kids would love.

I slept to the sound of crashing waves and in the morning we stopped for a delicious breakfast at Andy’s Flour Power and enjoyed perfect coffee, delicious food {we may have had a slice of red velvet cake for breakfast}, and delighful anecdotes from the owner, a transplant from New York.  It was the perfect way to start the day.

And then it was time for shopping!  We shopped along the Coastal Decor Emporium Trail, hitting a variety of shops with vintage treasures, repurposed projects, coastal style decor, and gorgeous furnishings.  Every stop was unique and I was thankful I brought my big suitcase so I could take a few treasures home.

We stopped first at The Shadow Box and it was my dream shop.  I’ve actually come home and brainstormed ways I could start my own similar store here in Dallas!  It was gorgeously staged and chock full of vintage treasures.  I could have spent hours there and kind of wanted to be besties with Terrah, the owner {wink}.  I’m not kidding when I tell you I’ve thought about this store non-stop since I got back.

Pieces on the Beach was our next stop, a coastal chic and antique market with over 28 vendors and a huge variety of goods!  I’m always drawn to vintage decor and these colorful marquee letters were right up my alley.  I loved poking through the different areas and seeing all the styles.  While the coastal theme definitely abounds in Panama City Beach, there were also so many other styles represented as well.  This shop had a fabulous selection of driftwood and an old screen door that I would have loved to bring home if I hadn’t been flying.

Our final stop on the first day was Beach Bums Decor, a fun and whimsical shop with painted furniture, shabby chic and coastal style decor, and repurposed items.  This kitchen clock, made with vintage kitchen tools, was a favorite.  Wouldn’t it be fun to make your own version?

After a fun morning of shopping, we hopped on a covered pontoon boat for a trip to Shell Island.

Dolphins swam alongside us and even surprised us with a leap that rivaled anything I’ve seen at Sea World!  It was a delight!

We wandered along the shore of Shell Island, shelling and collecting the pieces of driftwood I used in my garland.  It was the most relaxing afternoon and confirmed to me that I absolutely adore everything about the beach.  I may have to give up city life one day and find myself a little beach house.

That night we dined at Firefly, a local seafood restaurant that’s served the Obama family.  I had the most amazing she crab soup as a starter!

The next morning we started another fun day with a stop at Thomas’ Donut & Snack Shop, a family owned beachfront donut shop that’s been in business since 1971.  Nothing gets you ready for a day of shopping like fresh donuts!

Our second day of shopping started at Dinah’s Coastal Decor, another great shop full of coastal decor and unique gifts.  There were some gorgeous pieces of art at Dinah’s, all one of a kind and so unique.  I was inspired and loved the serene blues and greens in this shop.

We also shopped at Coastal Cottage Emporium and I found some treasures in a back room: old medicine bottles and jars that I had to bring home.  The entire store was filled with an eclectic mix of furniture and home decor, new and old, and I loved perusing through the vignettes.

Our third stop was at Beach House Market and I had a hard time leaving this vintage cart behind.  It would have made such an amazing island in my kitchen!  This shop was airy and beautiful and also full of gorgeous decor, shells, and home decor.  It would be so fun to style a home in the area and trek through all of these stores to find just the right thing.

Our final stop was at 13 Hub Lane, a gorgeous home decor store.  In addition to shopping through the beautiful displays in the store, we got to wander through the warehouse as well, a fun trek for someone who likes to hunt for that special item!  13 Hub Lane is a gorgeous store and was a great way to finish off our coastal decor tour.

We stopped for lunch at Barefoot Hide a Way Grill, located right on Panama City Beach with a stunning view of the coast.  The gumbo was fabulous!

After a leisurely afternoon spent wandering on the beach and watching the manta rays swim past me in the water, we enjoyed one final dinner at The Grand Marlin, a wonderful restaurant overlooking Grand Lagoon.

It was a fabulous weekend and one I definitely wanted to remember …

… which brings us back to my DIY driftwood garland!  I gathered these pieces of driftwood while we were wandering on Shell Island, let them dry completely, then snapped them into shorter pieces for the garland.

I drilled holes in the middle of each piece, using a tiny drill bit …

… then coiled the end of a piece of wire around a pen …

… and strung the pieces of driftwood onto the wire.

Once I had all the pieces in place, I attached a sand dollar {also found on Shell Island} and wrapped the end of the wire around itself.

And now I have a lovely driftwood garland that will hang in my home …

… and remind me of my fabulous weekend in Panama City Beach and my happy place!

Have you been to Panama City Beach?  What are your favorite spots?