DIY: Easter Chick Necklace

When you’re a kid, part of the fun and magic of holidays comes from wearing things that are oh-so-adorable but that you just can’t get away with wearing as an adult. So grab a handful of beads, some skinny ribbon and a box of precious little fuzzy chicks, and make an easy, darling DIY Easter chick necklace—it’s holiday haute couture for your little one!

Materials: small fuzzy chicks, beads, skinny ribbon, wide-eyed needle, thread

Little fuzzy chicks are available at most craft stores as well as many big box stores. They are just about the cutest thing on two plastic feet this time of year—if they had cheeks, I would totally pinch them! The chicks come in several sizes; the ones I used for this necklace were the medium variety.

Find some big, colorful beads in whatever color combination pleases you most, but make sure they have a fairly good-sized hole through the center. You’ll also need some really skinny ribbon and a wide-eyed needle. The length of the necklace is up to you, but when I make necklaces for kids, I always like to make them long enough so kids can easily lift them over their heads and don’t have to worry about fastening. Cut your ribbon to the length you want, thread it through the needle and start stringing your beads.

When all your beads are in place, securely tie one bead near each end of the ribbon using square knots. This will keep all the beads from sliding off the ribbon; a knot in the end never seems to work quite as well when it’s a child wearing the jewelry!

Close your necklace by tying a few snug square knots, and finish it with a bow to make it pretty.

Now for the chicks! Lay your completed necklace flat on the table, and put a little space between the beads where your chicks will go. To secure the chicks to the necklace, you have two options. First, you can glue them onto the ribbon. It works, but I’d call it a semi-permanent solution. If you have a two- or three-year-old, you know what I mean—they are rough on things! The second option is to tie a thread around the middle of each chick, and then tie the thread to the ribbon. They’re a bit more secure this way and far less likely to pop off the ribbon.