Jewelry-Making Ideas for Children

Making jewelry with kids is a good activity for after school, on weekends, during school breaks, or in the classroom. The best thing about jewelry making is that it can be done by both boys and girls--you just need to find the right supplies.

• beads
• wires
• stringing material
• charms
• small pliers
• pendants
• yarn
• chains
• leather straps

When you're thinking about supplies you'll need for the kids to make their own jewelry, consider their age group. For example, smaller children might have a tougher time navigating their way through tiny beads. Older children might find certain bracelets silly, and might want to make leather bracelets or friendship bracelets (these are made by stringing together colored threads). Also think about budget contraints and the abilities of the children.

For young children, make sure that the plastic beads you buy are large enough for them to hold in their hands. Children should be past the age where they stick things in their mouths - make sure your children are at least 5 or 6-years old before working with beads.

If your kids are young, they can still make jewelry -- just stay away from beads. Instead, help them braid together colored threads to make friendship bracelets or anklets.

For boys, choose heavy chains to string together with pliers. Another idea is to have them choose a simple leather strap and write on the strap with heavy markers. Use a simple clasp or velcro to hold the ends together.

The sky's the limit when it comes to making jewelry; let the children's imaginations take them to where they want to go. Here are some typical children's jewelry ideas:

• bracelets
• necklaces
• anklets
• brooches
• headbands
• earrings
• barrettes

Above all, make sure the jewelery making craft is fun. Don't have the kids strive for perfection. Instead, concentrate on making the jewelry session a fun craft where kids can express themselves, find their inner artists, make mistakes and learn how to be creative.