'EWA BEACH — Bill Hanson has loved seashells all of his life, but he never dreamed that his passion for shells would become a lifelong hobby and a successful at-home business.

It all started while he was in the Navy 25 years ago and occasionally visited Hawai'i. He always stayed at the Prince Kuhio Hotel and noticed that outside each elevator was a seashell-framed mirror.

"I admired these mirrors, and after studying them, I thought, 'I could make something like that,' " said Hanson. "And that's how I got started."

He has since made hundreds of mirrors, most of which are donated to organizations, then sold during silent auctions at events such as Taste at Kapolei and the Lincoln Day Dinners. He also gives away mirrors as presents to family and friends, and in recent years has begun selling some of his seashell creations.

Working out of his garage-turned-workshop, he starts by securing a backboard to the mirror. He then glues on large shells to create a 4-inch to 7-inch-wide frame. After creating the border, he glues on the rest of the shells, beginning with medium-sized seashells and ending with small, thumbtack-sized ones.

Lilé, Hanson's wife of 13 years, said recipients are always astounded at the beauty of the mirrors. "I tell you, some people get so overwhelmed they can't even speak," she said.

Each mirror contains approximately 200 varieties of shells and up to 1,000 individual seashells, all of which are in their natural state, not dyed or tinted. Hanson buys many shells locally, but he also buys from wholesalers in California and Florida who get their shells from France, Japan, China, the Philippines and Africa.

He has even found seashells in his backyard in 'Ewa Beach.

"I love these shells," said Hanson. "I fall in love with the mirrors as I make them because they are a fascinating item to work with."

It usually takes him several days to complete a framed mirror, having to apply different shells in six or seven different sessions.

"People often ask me how long it takes to make a mirror, and I don't know because I don't time myself," said Hanson. "I just make them. It's a fun process."

Hanson said that although each mirror is unique, he still has his favorites, like the one hanging in the Hawaiian Coral Factory in Waimanalo.

"I claim it's the largest shell mirror in the world," said Hanson. "It's 4 1/2 feet by 9 feet and has a 6-inch frame around the entire mirror. I'm very proud of that mirror."

Just as passionate about seashells and the framed mirrors is Lilé, who has decorated their entire house in a seashell motif.

"I know there's been a life in every single one of those shells, and those little creatures are sharing themselves with the world," she said.

Lilé never helps make the mirrors but comes into the workshop after they are complete to admire the finished work.

"He'll call me into (his workshop) to see special shells that he hadn't seen before and we 'ooh' and 'aah' over every mirror and we look at all the shells and where he put them," she said.

The mirrors sell for $200 to $800. Lilé also is building a Web site, www.shellmirrorshawaii.com, to further advertise her husband's creations.