Jewelry Craft Ideas for Kids

Hi! How's your Wednesday going? I have a treat for you today! I have a guest post today and I think you will really enjoy what she is sharing with us today! 

 

Much like their mother, my daughters are crafting maniacs. They have their own drawers packed with supplies and get excited at the mere prospect of a visit to our local craft store. They also love to spend time trolling the internet for craft tutorials. Unfortunately, they often happen upon tutorials we have to pass on, simply because they’re not child friendly.  A lot of jewelry tutorials require manual dexterity and fine motor skills far beyond the capabilities of young children. These three tutorials are perfect for kids ages 7-12 and require very little parental help!

Friendship Bracelets

After summers end, newly made friends often head off to different schools. Friendship bracelets are a great way for children to celebrate personal relationships without resorting to Facebook.

My girls’ favorite friendship bracelet is woven with many different colors. A wonderful tutorial on how to create this fabulous bracelet can be found at Modcloth. I really love the variety of colors that can be used so that each bracelet is unique and special. 

Bottle Cap Necklaces

Many of you are probably thinking to yourself, “Great, let’s put trash around our children’s’ necks.” But let me tell you, there are some great bottle cap necklace tutorials around the web that look fantastic. You could always buy some on Etsy, but what’s the fun in that?

This tutorial from Compulsive Craftiness is my favorite. If you don’t have a stash of bottle caps, you can get them here. I would avoid any bottle caps that say Corona or Samuel Adams unless you plan on covering up the brand name. You wouldn’t want people thinking that your child is an alcoholic.

Personal Tip: For attaching the jump rings, I highly recommend Wubbers jewelry pliers. We use them for a lot of different crafts and they’re fabulous because they don’t mar the delicate metals that are used in jewelry making. 

Washer Necklaces

This is one of the most kid-friendly jewelry tutorials that I’ve found. These adorable washer necklaces need very little adult supervision. You can find the tutorial at Small for Big.

This craft uses metal washers, nail polish, string and seed beads with a result that is way too adorable to pass up. The only place little ones may need help is in threading the string through the needle. These necklaces leave so much room for creativity. My daughters love them!

I hope your kids enjoy these fabulous jewelry crafts as much as mine did! Letting children take charge in their own projects and express themselves creatively really promotes a strong sense of self-esteem as well as pride in their work.

Claire Thomas is a DIY fiend who has yet to meet a tutorial she can’t tackle. When she’s not crafting, she and her nana can be found scouring estate sales for the next big Antiques Roadshow find.

What kind of crafty project have you done with your kids lately? Please share--I'm always looking for ideas.