African Beads

Zawadi (zah-WAH-dee) are the gifts given as rewards for having lived according to the Kwanzaa values during the year. Here is a simple way to make a necklace or bracelet that can be given as a zawadi gift.

Materials

• Ziti noodles
• Black, red, and green tempera paint (optional)
• Paintbrushes
• Glitter, large buttons, plastic beads (optional)
• Shoelace, ribbon, or thin cord
• Pine cone (optional)

Directions

1. Paint ziti noodles with tempera paint and sprinkle with glitter while the paint is still wet.
2. When the paint is dry, thread the shoelace, ribbon, or cord through the noodles, buttons, and beads to create a unique necklace or bracelet.
3. You can also start with a pine cone or other interesting object tied onto the middle of the shoelace, ribbon, or cord, then thread the noodles, beads, or buttons on either side of the centerpiece in an attractive design.

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