What could be better than a heaping cup of rich hot cocoa? How about a heaping cup of hot cocoa in a personalized mug? Invite your child to decorate your family's mug handles with beaded rings! This fun, easy project adds a pop of color to ordinary coffee mugs. These brightly beaded mug rings also make wonderful holiday gifts for grandparents or other relatives!
What You Need:
- Thin craft wire
- Scissors or wire cutters
- Small, colorful beads
- Handful of large glass beads
What You Do:
- Use wire cutters or scissors to cut one 3” and one 2” piece of wire.
- Have your child wrap one end of one of the 3” wire pieces around the tip of a pencil or pen so that the wire forms a small loop. Make sure the end of the wire is not too sharp.
- Instruct your child to thread small beads onto the straight end of the wire. The looped end should hold the beads in place and prevent them from slipping off the wire. Have your child stop threading beads at about the 1 ½” mark (halfway through the wire).
- Help your child thread one end of the 2” piece of wire into a large glass bead. Loop the other end around and thread it into the opposite end of the glass bead. Both ends should be inside the bead, with one big loop on the outside.
- Twist a small part of the loop at one end of the bead into a tiny, contained loop that can be threaded onto the other wire. Your child can then twist the remaining slack wire into an abstract pattern that wraps around the bead.
- Have your child thread the tiny loop on the big glass bead onto the 3” wire with the small beads, then finish by threading more small beads onto the wire until there’s very little room left.
- Your child should pull the end of the wire downward at an angle to form a hook, which can fasten into the loop at the other end. After your child forms the beaded wire into a ring, the project is complete.
These mug rings can be made in a variety of colors and patterns, using different colors and styles of beads. These rings are multi-purpose too: Smaller rings make adorable bracelet charms, and larger rings can be hung from doorknobs or cabinet handles!
By Carly Schuna
Carly Schuna is a freelance writer and editor who enjoys writing and reading children's literature. She has written and edited dozens of puzzles and activities and has served on the editorial staff of Highlights for Children and Highlights High Five magazines.
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