DIY Hello Kitty Bubblegum Necklace

My daughter loves jewelry of any kind, especially now that she is old enough to be making it herself. Soon we will need to make a jewelry organizer just for her! These necklaces were easy to make, take minimal supervision (just make sure no one chokes on any beads!), and make great gifts for any little girl. Since there is a bead in almost every color, this necklace matches almost every outfit. What little girl wouldn't want a necklace that looks like it's made of bubblegum AND includes Hello Kitty?

First, glue a bail to the back of a Hello Kitty cabochon with E6000 glue. Let dry for a few hours or overnight.

Supplies:
Hello Kitty cabochon (found at WholePort)
Multicolor Round 10mm Beads (found at WholePort)
Stretch Magic (1mm)

Measure your child's neck or measure a necklace that fits well and add a couple of inches. Cut a piece of Stretch Magic to the length you measured. Tie a knot or two, or clip a clothespin to the end of the Stretch Magic. If you tie a knot, be sure to pull it as tight as you can so it doesn't come undone. I highly recommend pouring the beads into a small cup or bowl so they don't roll away while your child is working.

If you haven't used Stretch Magic before, it is a strong, opaque, plastic cord used for jewelry making. It makes necklaces and bracelets stretchy, which is perfect for creating children's jewelry. It also doesn't fray, so it's easy for small hands to use.

We weren't sure how many beads we would need for the necklace, so I came up with a solution that worked great. Especially since my daughter loved threading the beads. Thread the beads on until you have an inch or two on each end. Then, count out the beads and find the middle. Remove half the beads, then add the Hello Kitty charm. Re-thread the remaining half of the beads.

Bring the ends of the necklace together, and tie a square knot and pull VERY tight. Tie about two more square knots, pulling as tight as you can through each knot. Stretch Magic is a slippery thread, so knots can easily come undone. A trick to keeping the last knot from slipping is to pull the knot tight, then add a drop of super glue (you could use E6000 instead, but it needs to dry longer). Let it dry, and your knot should stay put.

Trim the ends to about 1/4 inch long, and you've now got an adorable Hello Kitty bubblegum necklace!  

I received some of these craft supplies as compensation from WholePort. All opinions are my own.