"Birthstone" Necklace

What You Need:

• Stone about 1 inch in diameter
• Wire
• Wire cutter
• Pliers
• Yarn or rope
• Scissors
• Acrylic paints, paintbrush
• Internet access

What You Do:

1. Before your child gets started on the project, it might be fun for her to do a little research about the month she was born. Go online with her to find out more about her birth month and answer any questions you can yourself. What historic events have happened during that month? What was life like in the year she was born? Does she share a birthday with any famous people?
2. If she doesn’t already know, help your child figure out what her birthstone is by searching online.
3. Once she knows what her birthstone is, have her find a smooth round stone from outside. It should be small enough so that it won’t be too heavy to hang on a necklace, but large enough so that it can be painted easily.
4. Find an acrylic paint in the color of her birthstone. Many birthstones are similar colors, so if you don’t have anything in the exact color, try mixing colors until you reach the desired color. She may also want to try iridescent or metallic paints to mimic the real thing!
5. While the paint dries on the stone, help her cut one or two 3-inch pieces of wire using the wire cutters. Using pliers, help her wrap the wire around the stone after the paint has completely dried. She should also make a loop in the wire on one end so that the necklace chain can go through it.
6. Next she can put her yarn, wire or rope through the wire loop. Help her measure how long she wants the necklace to be, and then she can cut the yarn, wire or rope in the appropriate place. Have her tie it around the back of her neck.
7. She’ll enjoy wearing her birthstone necklace during her birthday month or any time of year! She may wish to make others as birthday gifts for friends or family members.