My daughter has officially reached the age where she’s starting to become interested in ‘girly’ things, and while we do not discriminate when it comes to the kinds of toys we play with in our household, and I try my hardest to break gender stereotypes wherever possible, I am secretly enjoying her newfound interests. She’s still not convinced she can sit through a manicure with me, and isn’t too keen on the idea of wearing makeup just yet, but fashion and jewelry are definitely becoming creative outlets for her. And I think it’s pretty cool!
One of the things I love most about being a mom is that I get to re-live my childhood through my daughter, so when I found her trying on my jewelry a few weeks ago, I started searching for some jewelry crafts for kids we could do together. We’ve had fun with our Rainbow Loom in the past, but I felt like it was time to move onto bigger and better things. I was dying to teach her how to make friendship bracelets, and I’ve been seeing a lot of tutorials about washer necklaces and how to make salt dough and polymer clay pendants that I was interested in trying.
If you’re looking for fun ways to spend quality time with your little one, check out this collection of jewelry crafts for kids!
Jewelry Making For Kids: 5 Sets to Invest In
Okay, full disclosure here: while I love nothing more than crafting at the dining table with my sweet girl on the weekends, there are times when I need an activity she can do independently. I’m also not a fan of big messes, so some days it’s better for everyone if we skip the DIY jewelry projects and go straight for a prepackaged jewelry set. If this sounds like you, here are some great options to invest in.
Creativity for Kids Emoji Bracelets
If you’re looking for independent jewelry crafts for kids, this is a great one to consider. It doubles as a great fine motor activity and kids will have fun stringing their favorite emoji characters together!
Shrinky Dinks Cool Foil Jewelry
If you’ve never made shrinky dinks with your little one, be prepared to have some fun! There are heaps of different sets you can buy based on your child’s age and specific interests, and this is a fun one to get your feet wet with. Whether you want to make bracelets, necklaces, or earrings, there are lots of different charms and pendants you can create in this set to add a little glam to your look!
KumiKreator Friendship Bracelet Maker
My daughter and I used this set to make friendship bracelets for all of her teachers before Christmas, and it was a REAL hit. There are tons of designs to choose from, and my sweet girl was able to create these mostly on her own and her teachers loved them!
Just My Style My Very Own Jewelry Studio
We recently purchased this set and haven’t had a chance to really test it out yet, but from what I can see and how much my daughter has raved about this after watching tutorials on YouTube, it was a worthwhile investment. It’s more of an intro to jewelry making kind of set, which is perfect for younger kids who aren’t quite ready to create traditional friendship bracelets by hand, but still want to go above and beyond simple beading.
Just My Style Shoelace Bracelets
Kids learn to make braid bracelets with this set, and can add their own flare with beads and charms. Oh! And the set even comes with some glow-in-the-dark beads for added fun!
13 DIY Jewelry Projects to Try at Home
If you’re more of a DIY person and want some projects to create with your little ones at home, these ideas are a great place to start. Whether you’re in the mood for working with salt dough or polymer clay, or prefer to keep it simple with felt, pony beads, and buttons, there are lots of great ideas to inspire you!
Straw Weaving Bracelets | There’s Just One Mommy
Fingerprint Charms | Mosswood Connections
DIY Glass Cracked Gems and Stone Jewelry | Color Made Happy
DIY Paracord Bracelet | Gluesticks
Upcycled Necklace Craft from Plastic Lids | Projects with Kids
Magazine Bead Bracelet | Kids Activities Blog
DIY Acorn Marble Necklace Nature Craft | Rhythms of Play
Melted Pony Bead Bracelets | An Inspired Mess
Polymer Clay Rainbow Jewelry | Projects with Kids
Button Bracelets | Kids Craft Room
Boys Hardware Jewelry | House of Joyful Noise
No Sew Kid-Made Felt Bracelets | Sugar Spice and Glitter
Memory Wire Bead Bracelets | My Bright Ideas
8 Washer Necklace Crafts for Kids
I never thought it was possible to have fun with a few washers and some string, and yet here we all. LOL. Whether you want to keep it simple with nail polish or alcohol inks, or you’re ready to go hard core with some metal stamping, there are some really neat washer necklace crafts for kids below to help get your creative juices flowing!
Nail Polish Washer Necklaces | Gluesticks
DIY Washer Necklaces with Beads | Frugal Family Home
Basketball Washer Necklace Tutorial | Mommy with No Money
Alcohol Ink Washer Necklaces | Sarah Jane’s Craft Blog
Modge Podge Washer Necklaces | Coconut Love
Easy Mickey Mouse Washer Necklaces | The Farm Girl Gabs
DIY Upcycled Washer Necklaces | Skip the Bag
Stamped Washer Necklaces | More Like Home
How to Make Friendship Bracelets: 5 Tutorials for Kids
Hands up if you made friendship bracelets with your mom’s embroidery silks when you were a kid! I spent hours doing this when I was a tween, and while I still remember the basics, friendship bracelets have come a LONG way since then. If you’re looking for simple and easy step by step tutorials for beginners, or want more complex pattern ideas, the tutorials below will not disappoint.
Candy Stripe Friendship Bracelets for Beginners | Kat Hallinan
Easy Chinese Ladder Friendship Bracelet Tutorial | Emilie Lefler
DIY Fishtail String Bracelet | LaurDIY
DIY Chevron Friendship Bracelets | Simple DIYs
DIY Heart Friendship Bracelets | SaraBeautyCorner
I hope this collection of jewelry crafts for kids proves as fun and as exciting to you and your kids as they have for my daughter and me! Whether you’re simply stringing beads onto a piece of string, stamping meaningful words onto a washer necklace, or creating cool designs with yarn, these ideas will enable you to spend quality time with your children while giving them an opportunity to express their own unique style. And I think that’s pretty special.