The inspiration for this necklace was the southern migration of monarch butterflies in the Fall. Many of our friends and relatives donate amazing things to us to re-imagine. The wood beads in the necklace came from a mom at school. (Thank you V.!) Together as a family they make homemade Christmas presents and then she donates the leftover items to the school. The Kindergarten teacher has a very well loved centre called, “Make & Take” where the kids create various things of their own imagination, developing their creativity, fine motor skills and planning. In our city we have a re-use centre where you can donate and purchase (for a small amount) all sorts of materials to re-imagine. Many other municipalities have this with the profits supporting community environmental programs, education and initiatives. Garage sales are often another good source for fabric and supplies. Re-using items allows us to enjoy the act of creating and reduce what potentially goes into the landfill. Have you re-imagined something? We’d love for you to share it with us. Materials Cardstock Craft glue or Modge Podge Paint brush Tissue paper (yellow & orange) Pencil/eraser Lace (We recommend a magnetic detachable clasp for younger children for safety) Hole punch Beads Permanent black marker Whiteout pen (To be used with adult supervision) Craft tray Smock Laminating supplies or clear contact paper. Directions Sketch out the shape of a butterfly. Cut your butterfly out. Don your smock. Tear and cover your butterfly with pieces of tissue paper, using both a layer of glue underneath and over top of the tissue paper. Be sure to wash your paintbrush immediately after. Allow to dry overnight in your craft tray. Trim the excess tissue paper. Repeat the process on the other side. Allow to dry and trim. Using your black pen pen, colour the butterfly’s antennae, body and wing pattern. With adult supervision, colour in the white areas of the wing pattern with a white out pen. We did this before applying the permanent marker, but suggest the reverse as it may be easier for some children. Cover your butterfly with clear contact paper (sandwiching it in between the sticky sides) or have an adult laminate it. Punch two holes into your butterfly. Lace your beads and your butterfly to create a necklace. We used the ends to form a loop and sewed them (as seen below), hiding the excess into the bead. Enjoy! Purpose Learning a bit about the monarch butterfly’s behaviour in Fall. Cutting different materials. Lacing beads etc. is a great way to develop one’s fine motor skills. Safety Notes Exercise caution when using scissors Use twine, string etc. with adult supervision as it may be a strangulation hazard. Remove your necklace for play (e.g., on the playground) to avoid strangulation. Please like & share: 2 Responses Katie October 28, 2014 Wow! What an adorable idea – and lovely photos (thanks to your perfect model!) Reply Bonnie Scorer October 28, 2014 Thanks Katie! Reply Leave a Reply to Katie Cancel Reply Your email address will not be published. Name* Email* Website Comment Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email.
Katie October 28, 2014 Wow! What an adorable idea – and lovely photos (thanks to your perfect model!) Reply