One of the challenges of school holidays or weekends is to find a way to entertain your children that doesn’t involve spending a lot of money or having them sitting in front of the television for hours on end.
Craft projects are a great opportunity for children to be able to express their creativity and give them a sense of achievement. One of the most popular craft projects is using beads to create jewelry.
A tried and tested tradition
Throughout the centuries beads have been used to create decoration and jewelry. From expensive jewels and gems, to simple wooden or stone beads – small items that when combined together can create something beautiful and unique. Whether it is a simple bracelet, a necklace, or something more elaborate, artisans in cultures around the world have used beads to decorate, emblazon, and bedazzle.
Starting a craft project for your children
If you are looking to use beads as the basis of a craft project to keep your children entertained, then you don’t need to use expensive gems and jewels – there are a huge range of beads made from all different types of materials that are all relatively inexpensive. Wood or stone beads are beautiful to work with, but there are also a spectacular range of plastic beads in a huge range of colors, sizes, and shapes.
One of the key decisions is to what you are looking to create – the best place to start is with a simple bracelet. This is an achievable size that can be completed in a couple of hours, so it isn’t too daunting when you’re just starting out.
Make sure that you have all of the materials that you need and a good selection of different types of beads for your children to choose from. Part of the fun of working with beads is sorting through them and selecting the ones you want to create the design that you are working to.
Creating gifts for family and friends
If you are thinking ahead, then the bracelets and necklaces that your children create as part of the school holiday craft projects could be used as simple and inexpensive gifts for birthdays and Christmas. With a little bit of practice your children will soon be producing exciting pieces of jewelry and innovative fashion accessories that your family and friends will be happy to receive as a gift.
So at this point, you are probably thinking – “Where can I find a bead store near me?” You really need a specialty bead store so your best bet is to search for bead stockists in your area. There are also a range of online bead retailers that can help you with some of the hard to find pieces or home delivery if you live in a relatively remote area.
Kids love beads so get your supplies ready, and be ready to start your family’s next project.