Sweet Little Acorn Necklaces

We were turned on to this idea via the site http://kidscrafts.craftgossip.com/adorable-acorn-necklaces/2016/09/01/. But of course in typical fashion we took them in a slightly different direction. LOVE the outcome but I'm also so drawn to the many steps that made up the process as well.

EXPLORE: The neighborhood in search of these little treasures on the ground.

COLLECT: Acorns....as many as little hands can carry.

MAKE: Sweet Emblems of Nature in Necklace Form!

When we got home we threw them in a bowl with some water and cleaned them up. While we were doing this we pulled all the tops off so we could drill the holes for the string later on. They laid out to dry as I made dinner. With two little ones under four our projects are always broken down into steps, sometimes extending over days or weeks!

Eventually we came back to the project at hand and pulled out the paints and glitter! I gave them some brushes and paint and let them have at it. For the glitter application we I dumped glitter into a couple sealable plastic sandwich bags and let them drop their wet paint acorns in. They shook them up (lots of fun!) and coated them with sparkles. I rolled them out and let those dry. Some of the acorns were encrusted while others were left plain or with paint.

So as not to spread the glitter love too much to anyone wearing the necklace I went back later and coated the dry glitter acorns with some elmers glue in order to get a clear coat and keep the glitter at bay. Pretty but potential sparkle fest. That did the trick.

I drilled the holes while the kids played (only a couple holes in the plastic table cloth....but at least it wasn't the table lol!). The twine was cut to fit little people and then some were cut longer for adults. The twine was threaded through the holes on either side of the stem and tied in a knot under the cap. After that I filled a cap with Elmer's Glue and put the acorn back together. I found a place to prop it while it dried after a failed attempt at using a clamp (maybe you can come up with a better way...but this ad-hoc method worked for us).

We have made four so far and have a bunch drilled and ready to glue. Holiday gifts here we come!

I feel like these are so special and when I wear them it warms my heart to think of where they came from and the fact that we made them with our own hands. The power of nature and our family close to me at all times ~ and they are gorgeous to boot ~ perfect! My one and a half year old daughter asks to put hers on in the morning. Too cute.

Hope you get a chance to try this out. The sweetest little necklaces you will ever find.