Stones, Pendants, and Rock Hounds

by Andrea Mulder-Slater

Age: Elementary and Middle
Time: 30 minutes or more
Type of Activity: Jewelry making

Materials needed:

Procedure

Would you and your artists like to create a lovely piece of earth jewelry? You can, using a natural object that can be found almost everywhere, including the park, the playground, and even your backyard. Simply gather some interesting looking stones and rocks (not too big), some leather, jute, or heavy yarn, a pair of scissors, glue, an old paintbrush, and a handful of beads.

Ready, set, go and pick your favorite rock. Wash and dry it, making sure to scrub away all the caked-on mud and dirt. Now, cut a long length of leather, jute, or heavy yarn and start wrapping and twisting it around the rock in every direction. Three or four wraps should do the trick.

Next, take the two ends of the leather and tie one small knot and then another, creating a loop. Before moving on to the final step, it is important to seal the leather onto the rock. Do this by taking an old paintbrush, dipping it in glue and covering the rock with a coat or two of the sticky stuff. If you find it is too thick and gooey, just add a little bit of water. When the wrapped rock pendant is dry, slip another piece of leather, jute, or yarn through the loop, add a couple of colorful beads, tie a double knot, and voila, a lovely earth necklace for you to wear.

Facts

Do you collect rocks? If you do, you might just be a rockhound. What's that? Well, a rockhound is someone who collects, sorts, organizes, and just generally loves rocks. There are clubs, magazines, and even conventions where rockhounds from all over the world gather together and share their fossil and gemstone finds.

© Andrea Mulder-Slater | KinderArt | http://www.kinderart.com
Illustrations © Geoffrey David Slater