From Farmhouse to Florida

A Life Styled with Heart

The Legend of the Sand Dollar

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Are you familiar with the Legend of the Sand Dollar? Easter is the perfect thyme to share this poem!

As the sun rises on Good Friday, I always find myself drawn back to the quiet symbolism of the sand dollar. Its markings feel like a whispered reminder that hope is never far from the shoreline.  Some of the sand dollars in my home were gathered by my grandmother on her Florida vacations in the late 1950s — tiny, fragile keepsakes she tucked into box filled with keepsakes like maps and postcards. Others came from Dave’s mom, who also found peace walking these same beaches. Together, they form a little lineage of faith and Florida sand.

Good Friday has become the natural home for this post — a day when the world feels still enough to notice the small, sacred details. The star, the lily, the poinsettia, the doves… each one a symbol of the story we remember today.

So, as we move toward Easter morning, I hope this gentle legend brings you the same sense of peace it brings me each year. It’s a reminder that even the simplest things — a shell, a poem, a memory — can carry the weight of hope.

Legend of the Sand Dollar postcard

As we draw closer to Easter, it seems like the perfect time to share the story of the Legend of the Sand Dollar.  The legend is a story of hope and peace, something we all need right now.  It tells the story of Christ with symbolism found in the patterns and internal structures of the sand dollar.

Let’s take a closer look at the markings that make this little shell so meaningful.

The top of the shell has a symbol that looks like a star which signifies the Star of Bethlehem.  This is the star that led the Wise Men to the baby Jesus.  An outline of an Easter lily surrounds the star.  Easter Lilies are a symbol of Christ’s resurrection.

There are five holes in a sand dollar – four around the ends of the star and one in the center. According to the religious legend, the four holes represent the four wounds of Christ when his hands and feet were nailed to the cross. The center hole represents the wound made from a soldier’s spear.

trio of sand dollars on an old wooden piece

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On the opposite side of  the sand dollar, you can see the outline of a poinsettia, the traditional Christmas flower. If a sand dollar is broken open, it is said that five dove-shaped pieces appear.  Doves are often used to represent peace and goodwill.

sand dollar with "poinsettia " side up, displayed with a shell ornament

Isn’t that a sweet legend?  The white color of the sand dollars come from being bleached by the sun.  White is also a symbol of purity.

What Are Sand Dollars?

Sand dollars are actually the skeletons of  keyhole urchins.  These urchins are found in various places around the world including both the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States.  They are somewhat fragile and resemble old American coins or old large Spanish coins.

sand dollar ornament

Where did my Sand Dollars come from?

Some of the sand dollars that I now have were collected by my grandmother when she & my grandfather used to vacation in Florida in the late 1950s and early 1960.  The others were collected by Dave’s Mom.  His parents also vacationed in Florida and ultimately retired here as well.
 
Speaking of Florida, this is probably a good thyme to introduce myself if you are new to my blog.  I am so happy to meet you!  I am a transplanted Mid-Western.  I sometimes say I am a Zone 6 girl living in a Tropical location!  If you are a gardener, you will know what I am referring to when I say Zone 6.  Another way to describe my interests is that they range from flowers (a former florist) to flour (a former pizzeria owner) and many things in between!  My name is Kimberly or Kim and I call my decorating style “Kim” Style!
 
I like to use thyme instead of time when I am writing!  My entrepreneurial journey started many years ago when I first started growing and using herbs.  My journey is detailed in Sprout, Grow, Bloom.

How To Decorate with Sand Dollars

Dough bowl decorated with sand dollars & ornaments

Since moving to Florida, I have often incorporated sand dollars, as well as other shells, in dough bowl centerpieces. If you have been following me for awhile, I am sure this comes as no surprise.  I do have a bit of a dough bowl addiction!

What Exactly is a Dough Bowl?

Dough bowls get their name from their original purpose: making bread dough!  An antique dough bowl was a great place for the bread dough to rise as the wood helped retain the heat which in turn helped the dough rise.  Every kitchen had a least one dough bowl and they were often times handed down through the generations.  Antique dough bowls are also sometimes referred to as trenchers.  Now, instead of being used to actually make dough, they have become a decorating staple especially for Farmhouse decor.
 
Dough bowls come in a variety of shapes and sizes.  The most common shapes are the oval and round.   I have  an oval 20-inch-long dough bowl as well as a few other shapes and sizes.   I love to decorate them for the seasons.  The majority of mine are reproductions.   There are still many antique ones available.

How to Decorate a Dough Bowl with Sand Dollars

I love dough bowls so much; I have added a few more to my collection since moving to Florida!  This rectangle one is also a reproduction.  It is approximately 17 inches long and 8 1/2 inches wide.  The width made it easy to decorate.  To be completely honest, I don’t really care for the carving or the distressing but  I think it actually blends in with the holes on the sand dollars.  The carving/distressing isn’t nearly as noticeable once the sand dollars and other elements are in place.
 
rectangle dough bowl
 
When looking for dough bowls, be sure to pay attention to the dimensions.  I recommend something no smaller than 17 inch long if it is rectangle or oval.  For a round one, it should be at least 10 inches .

The Elements

sand dollars & ornaments in a dough bowl

I am going to combine a few blue Christmas ornaments, sand dollars, two shell encrusted spheres and a candle.  I forgot I had this battery candle with a sand dollar motif.  I could have used it in place of the milk glass candle!

Coastal Christmas Centerpiece front

I found a postcard with the Legends of The Sand Dollar in with my Grandmother’s Florida maps and other mementos,
 
 
It didn’t take very long to put the dough bowl centerpiece together once I had all my elements collected.
oblong dough bowl decorated with sand dollars
 
Dough bowl decorated with sand dollars & ornaments
 

Other Ways To Use This Sand Dollar Centepiece

The sand dollar dough bowl can also be used after Easter as a Summer centerpiece.
 
coastal themed summer dough bowl
 
Instead of the milk glass candle, a solar lantern can be used in the center of the dough bowl. To learn more about how I use hanging solar lanterns to add interest to my outdoor areas, please see this post : Add Interest to Your Garden with  Hanging Solar Lanterns
 
doughbowl display with solar lantern
 
This little seating corner has become one of my favorite places to enjoy the quiet symbolism of the sand dollar. And if you love creating peaceful outdoor spaces too, I’ve gathered some of my favorite ideas for styling a summer lanai in a way that feels calm, collected, and Florida‑breezy.  For more inspiration on how to refresh your outdoor living area, please see this post:  Let’s Celebrate Summer
 
Sand dollar early summer theme

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Happy Easter!

As we move through this Good Friday and toward Easter morning, I hope this little legend brings a moment of peace to your day — the same way it has for my family for generations.

Dave & I would like to wish everyone a very blessed and Happy Easter!  I hope you enjoyed reading about the Legend of the Sand Dollar!

Kim & Dave in front of Easter sign

 

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  3. […] Dough bowls get their name from their original purpose: making bread dough!  An antique dough bowl was a great place for the bread dough to rise as the wood helped retain the heat which in turn helped the dough rise.  Every kitchen had a least one dough bowl and they were often times handed down through the generations.  Antique dough bowls are also sometimes referred to as trenchers.  Now, instead of being used to actually make dough, they have become a decorating staple especially for Farmhouse decor. Dough bowls come in a variety of shapes and sizes.  The most common shapes are the oval and round.   I normally keep an oval 20-inch-long dough bowl on my gathering room coffee table.  I love to decorate it for the seasons.  I believe mine is a reproduction but there are still many antique ones available. Whether your dough bowl is a true antique or a reproduction, the principles behind decorating it are the same.   Your personal style is one of the main things to consider.  If you like something and it makes you happy, then use it to decorate your dough bowl.  Having a dough bowl makes creating a stunning seasonal centerpiece so quick and easy!  Since moving to Florida, I have often incorporated shells in the dough bowl centerpiece.  Some of the shells were collected by my grandmother when she & my grandfather used to vacation in Florida in the late 1950s and early 1960. In the dough bowl arrangement pictured above, I used shells, vintage Christmas ornaments, a battery candle and pine picks.  The battery candle has a mosaic glass look to it and the colors of the Christmas ornaments compliment the colors in the candle.  I originally made this for the Autumn season.  The step-by-step instructions can be found here: Imagination & Spray Paint to the Rescue I was able to quickly transform this arrangement to a more Christmas or Holiday arrangement by simply adding a few more elements.   The little packet of post it notes is a really nice touch, don’t you agree? Speaking of Florida, this is probably a good thyme to introduce myself if you are new to my blog.  I am so happy to meet you!  I am a transplanted Mid-Western.  I sometimes say I am a Zone 6 girl living in a Tropical location!  If you are a gardener, you will know what I am referring to when I say Zone 6.  Another way to describe my interests is that they range from flowers (a former florist) to flour (a former pizzeria owner) and many things in between!  My name is Kimberly or Kim and I call my decorating style “Kim” Style! I like to use thyme instead of time when I am writing!  My entrepreneurial journey started many years ago when I first started growing and using herbs.  My journey is detailed in Sprout, Grow, Bloom. I love dough bowls so much; I keep adding more to my collection!  This rectangle one is also a reproduction.  It is approximately 17 inches long and 8 1/2 inches wide.  The width made it easy to decorate.  This one is can be quickly turned into a holiday centerpiece just by adding some seasonal battery operated candles.  To be completely honest, I don’t really care for the carving or the distressing but most of it will be covered up by the design elements! My cousin’s wife received a set of these adorable Snowman battery operated candles for Christmas one year!  I fell in love with them but got busy and completely forgot about them until I saw them again at their house at Thanksgiving!  I found them on Amazon and bought them as an early Christmas gift for myself!  I do things like that a lot!  I will put a link to them at the end of the post if you are interested in them!  They come with a remote control too!  And the “wicks” move so they look just like real candles! The dough bowl centerpiece looks fine like this.  I decided to add a few more elements.  This whole process took about 15 minutes.  It probably took me longer to put the batteries in the candles!  The carving/distressing isn’t nearly as noticeable now that the candles are in place.  As an aside, I do love to decorate with snowmen.  When I lived in Illinois, I left them out all winter.  I can leave these out until Valentine’s Day. Another seasonally appropriate way I decorated this rectangle dough bowl was to use sand dollars.  See how the sand dollar has a design of a poinsettia on the back of the shell?  More information about the symbolism found on the shells can be found in a post I wrote earlier this year: The Legend of the Sand Dollar […]

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  8. […] Kimberly from From Farmhouse to Florida completes our features today with this faith-filled post ~ The Legend of the Sand Dollar. I’m glad to see them making a comeback as I have loved this for […]

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