Jewellery making is a fun indoor activity for kids of all ages; as long as they're old enough not to swallow all the beads. These beaded bracelets are fun, colourful, and very easy to make. You can keep kids entertained for ages on a rainy day with a few beads and some elastic thread.
Kids can make bracelets for themselves, or design bracelets to give to all of their friends. They're an interesting alternative to the
friendship bracelet.
Time: 30 minutes
Age: 5-10s, Over 10s
Level: Medium
Materials
Method
It's ideal that you have a large collection of beads. You can keep them in divided storage containers and just bring them out whenever kids feel like doing some beading. Often you can find mixed packs of beads for a lot less than proper beading kits.
Kids can design their bracelets by laying out the beads in the design they want on a non-slip mat. Felt mats work well for this.
Cut the elastic thread to size, and then clamp one end in the spring stop. This creates a barrier so that the beads can't fall off the end of the string. It makes beading a lot easier for younger kids and avoids the disappointment of having their beads accidentally slip off while they're threading them through.
One-by-one, thread the beads onto the elastic.
Once the design is finished, tie up the ends so that the bracelet is the right size. You should have some loose bits of thread hanging from either end. Paint over the knotted bit of elastic with nailpolish. This hardens the elastic and means you can cut close to the knot without it unravelling. Leave the knot to try, and then snip away the excess elastic.
Bracelet making can be a fun birthday party activity for older kids, and they can take their bracelet home as a keepsake of the party. You can use exactly the same method to make beaded necklaces, you just have to make sure you cut the elastic a lot longer.
Categories
#Jewellery
#Bracelet
#Party Activities
#Beading
#5 to 10s
#Over 10s
#Medium
#Beads
#Threading
