Yes Linda the lid and bottom come apart. I made a line on the bottom box just below where the top stopped and then glued on the tiny seashells up to that line. The top and bottom fit real snug. Shauna, I have a bunch of shells a friend gave me, but I also order craft shells from ttp://www.usell-mart.com/. The boc is not really heavy, because the shells are so tiny, except a few on the top.
Obstacles are the things we see when we take our eyes off our goals!