Savannah Serafini sells seashells by the seashore, kind of.
Serafini, a senior at the University of Georgia studying fashion merchandising, founded “For the Shell of It” in 2023, a small business which sells hand-painted shells that serve as ring dishes and is now a successful seller both online and through pop-ups.
During Thanksgiving break in 2023, Serafini was walking around the beach and decided to paint the inside of the shells to give them to her friends as a Christmas gift.
She posted a video on TikTok decorating the shells, and soon thereafter, her social media was flooded with messages from people who loved her product and would like to buy them.
“The video had like 30 likes when I saw it, so I commented that I thought that they were really cute,” said Claire Zucherberg, an aesthetician in Rochester, Michigan. “She had this blue and white pattern that I really had liked, so I messaged her that I wanted to order one, and I had no idea at the time that I was actually her first order ever.”
In response to the positive reactions she received on social media, Serafini entered a craft show in her hometown of St. Simons Island with newfound confidence during Christmas break, where she sold out all of her 100 pieces.
Serafini’s friend Haley Reynolds, who is also a senior studying fashion merchandising, encouraged her to sell the shells and offered her help with anything during the pop-ups in Athens.
“She has to design the patterns, so it takes a lot,” Reynolds said. “It’s a lot of hard work, and she is one of the most hardworking people I know.”
Savannah Serafini organizes her shells at her home studio in Athens, Georgia, on Friday, April 19, 2024. (Photo/Evan Frilingos; @frilingos.photos)
Every one of the 1,500 shells that Serafini has sold in the last four months is hand-painted, with each shell taking roughly 3 days. Even the shipping process is closely observed by her, as she drops off everything at the Athens post office, where the business is known and supported.
“I come in and Miss Brenda, she’s always like, ‘Oh my gosh, you have 20 today,’” Serafini said. “They’re so helpful with it. I think they’re happy to see a college kid [running a business] and using the post office.”
The patterns on the shells are inspired by Serafini growing up with parents involved in interior designing and her love for classic English patterns. With the support of her professors’ leniency, she is able to balance her schoolwork while flourishing in brand management for her company.
“One of my favorite parts about it all is building the community. I never thought that I would be mailing these shells to Hawaii, to Manhattan, to Seattle, but then posting pop-ups in Athens,” Serafini said.
When her demand was lower, Serafini’s father would clean the shells and her mom would help her prime them. But with a rapidly growing business, she has begun to outsource the shells from a company in the East Coast, which helps her with the high demand and cleaning process while still making sure that the shells are regional.
“I order usually like 150 shells every week from him and they’re cleaned for me,” Sarafini said.
Serafini’s products are much more than decorations- they carry stories. From weddings and proposals to reminders of special memories with families, Serafini said that the idea to use the shells themselves adds sentimental value to the products.
“It’s something unique to have, but it’s still very classy. They make good bridesmaids gifts… to put in little bridesmaids’ boxes, which is such a good gift and it’s actually useful,” Reynolds said.
Serafini is able to connect with her customers through social media by hearing the stories behind the product and what her customers end up using the ring dishes for.
“That’s the rewarding part about having your own business, is you get to see the whole lifecycle of the product, it’s not just one portion of it,,” Serafini said. “As a college student, I wanted something creative at an attainable price point.”
Serafini plans to continue her business even as she graduates and starts an internship.
