Craft Parts Blog

How To Make A Necklace!

For younger children, a wooden necklace is a great craft to make, during vacation Bible school or even at home. If you are looking for vacation Bible school crafts, you have come to the right place! In this article you will learn how to make a simple craft like a necklace and will be able to instill valuable life lessons in your children.

Before you begin this craft you should have several items handy. Those items are:
1. String (or yarn)
2.Wooden beads, these can be found online or at your local craft store)
3. Paint or anything to decorate your beads with
4. Paper plates- give one of these to your kids individually with the exact number of beads they will need.
5. Craft paper to cover your work space with so it will not get messy.
6. Craft Wire if you want a simple necklace of too had jewels or other ornaments.

Now that you have the above items you can begin helping your children assemble their necklaces.
As they walk in to the classroom, have them sit around the table. Explain to them the craft that they will be making today and give them a short speech on the importance of sharing. You can incorporate a Biblical message into your craft, or if at home you can make a list of all the people you would like to make a special necklace for. Making crafts with kids can be a tremendous amount of fun not only for them but for you too.
Explain the craft to them and pass out the paper plates to each child gathered around the table. Tell them to paint their beads or color them with assorted markers or crayons. Once your children have finished decorating their beads you can set aside the paper plates so they can have time to dry (if you used paints or glue). Allow at least 20 minutes and while you are waiting you can get the class involved in a Bible story or family time. Get them to use their imaginations and brainstorm about what they think kids did for fun thousands of years ago.
When your beads are dry, you can begin making your necklace. Ask the children to string one wooden bead at a time and encourage them to make patterns. When they are finished stringing their beads, help them tie the loose ends.
If you want more ideas for crafts with wooden beads, look online to find other beads made out of Christian symbols. You might be able to find things like hearts, crosses, stars, etc.
This project is great and simple for children 6 and up.

*(ages 8 and up)

Creating a personalized picture frame is an ideal project for children. This is a project that although fairly simple, it still requires adult supervision. Never leave your children unattended- besides it is fun to get the whole family involved!

This project makes a great gift for Christmas and birthdays. The personal touch adds to the overall sentiment.

There are several things that you will need before you begin working on this project. We listed them out for you below:

1. Plain wooden frame- You can  also get these from an arts and crafts store

2. Paint- nontoxic and safe for children

3. Glitter or anything to decorate the outside of your frame with

4. Anything you would like to attach to your frame: craft wire, bells, stickers, molding

5. A picture of your choice to place in the frame

6. Ribbon- If you want to hang your frame on the wall

7. Magnets- If you want to put the frame on your refrigerator

While supervising your children, allow them the decorate their frame however they would like. Their personal touches will be a cherished gift by whomever they choose to give it to!

Let your kids paint shapes and designs on the outside of the frame. Encourage them to decorate however they want.

Once your kids are done decorating their frames help them put their favorite picture in the frame.

Your children are guaranteed to have a great time expressing themselves through their own frames. This is also a project that will keep them occupied and less interested in what is on television. Keeping kids entertained can be difficult when you have to compete with the media but a hands on activity like this one will encourage them to use their minds and creativity!

If you have more patience or time on your hands you could even try to create your own frame out of wood yourself. Using different cuts of wood, glue them together to make the shape of a frame. If you opt to do this, you most certainly want to make sure your children are supervised. Never let your children cut the wood themselves. Sanding the wood and painting are easy tasks for children to complete safely on their own.

Try gluing a few twigs to the front of the frame. This will give it a “winter” feel. The choices are endless when it comes to creating your own masterpiece. You can glue leaves, scrapbook paper, magazine clippings, to your frame to give it a unique look.

The base of your frame which is made out of wood is all your really need to help you get started. Once you have your frame, you can decorate as many as you would like!