We are making a necklace craft today! This camp necklace craft is so easy to make and such a fun theme. Kids of all ages will love making their very own necklaces with a clay charm and paper beads. It is a simple, fun, and budget-friendly craft. You can make this camp necklace craft at home, in the classroom, with friends, or even at summer camp!
Necklace Craft
Making jewelry is fun to make and even more fun to show off. It is also a great way to practice fine motor skills. Making paper beads, stringing beads, careful shaping and molding, painting, these are all ways you can strengthen your child’s gross motor skills.
Plus, your child can make these camp necklaces for themselves, for friends, or family members. It makes a great gift and you can make themed ones and give it to a friend as a friendship necklace!
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Related: Here are 18 more ways to make super cool DIY jewelry.
Supplies Needed To Make This Adorable Necklace Craft
How To Make Your Very Own DIY Camp Necklace
Step 1
Let’s make our charms. First, we are making the tent charm. Shape your clay into a triangle.
Add a hole at the top and make a smaller triangle then draw a line down the middle. Allow the clay to fully dry.
Paint the outside purple or your favorite color.
Paint the inside triangles a lighter color.
Now, using black paint, paint the line down the middle black.
Step 2
Let’s make our fire charm now. This one is more tricky.
Take a ball of clay and shape your flames by pinching the ends to make the flames. Using two small balls of clay, form two logs and gently stick them to your flames smoothing out the lines. Add a small hole to the top and allow dry.
Now time to paint! Paint your flames red.
Add some orange over it.
And then add yellow paint. Don’t forget to paint your logs brown!
Step 3
It is time for the s’more’s charms! Make two squares with your air dry clay. Poke holes into the top of both.
On one, add a + and allow dry. Paint it dark brown for chocolate.
The second square just needs holes poked into it and then allow it to dry. Paint it a light brown and then dot dark brown over the holes.
To shape your marshmallow, make a cylinder using your clay. Then add a small bar to the top and smooth down the edges. Allow dry.
Step 4
Make your paper beads. You can follow our instructions here and get a colorful template or you can use your own decorative paper and then follow the instructions.
Step 5
Thread your charms onto the embroidery string.
Step 6
Now thread your beads.
Step 7
Tie off your necklace and you’re finished!
Make This DIY Necklace Craft Your Own
Like always, this is your craft! Change it up anyway you want! There are so many different things you can do like:
- Change up the theme from camping to something else like the beach.
- Use different themed charms like mountains, animals, flowers, trees, a grill, etc.
- You can use twine, yarn, any string will work.
- Use metal, wood, or plastic beads.
- Add glitter to your charms!
- Try adding more beads.
- Make bracelets or anklets instead.
Our Experience With This Camp Necklace Craft
We are still on our camping theme! My kids are having a blast with it and so I don’t see any need to change it yet. My kids each made their own necklaces and used different charms. We had s’mores of course, and fire, and a tent, but one added hot dogs, another a fish. They can make all their favorite camping experiences into a charm.
I love this craft too. It was fun to do with them and it allowed them to make a keepsake for themselves to remember family moments. Plus, it allowed them to explore different art mediums like jewelry making, clay sculpting, making beads. I liked that it introduced new concepts and experiences for them. And I hope you had as much fun as we did making this craft.
Materials
- Air Dry Clay
- Acrylic Paint
- Paintbrushes
- Embroidery String
- Scissors
- Clay Tools
- Paper Beads (Download and print our colorful bead paper and follow the instructions, or use your own paper, but follow the instructions to make your own paper beads.)
Instructions
- Tent Charm- Shape your clay into a triangle.
- Add a hole at the top and a line down the middle.
- Allow the clay to fully dry.
- Paint the outside purple or your favorite color.
- Paint the inside triangles a lighter color.
- Now, using black paint, paint the line down the middle black.
- Fire Charm- Take a ball of clay and shape your flames by pinching the ends to make the flames.
- Using two small balls of clay, form two logs and gently stick them to your flames smoothing out the lines.
- Add a small hole to the top and allow dry.
- Now time to paint! Paint your flames red, add some orange over it, and then yellow. Don’t forget to paint your logs brown!
- Smores Charm- Make two squares with your air dry clay. Poke holes into the top of both.
- On one, add a + and allow dry. Paint it dark brown for chocolate.
- The second square just needs holes poked into it and then allow it to dry.
- Paint it a light brown and then dot dark brown over the holes.
- To shape your marshmallow, make a cylinder using your clay. Then add a small bar to the top and smooth down the edges. Allow dry.
- Make your paper beads. You can follow our instructions here and get a colorful template or you can use your own decorative paper and then follow the instructions.
- Thread your charms onto the embroidery string.
- Now thread your beads.
- Tie off your necklace and you’re finished!
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How did your necklace craft turn out? Which charms did you use?
