Kwanzaa Necklace

One of the symbols of Kwanzaa is zawadi, or gifts. A handmade gift like this necklace is the most treasured.

Materials

• 1 cup flour
• Acrylic paints
• 1/2 cup salt
• Clear acrylic spray
• 1/4 cup water
• Fishing line, beading thread,
• 1 tablespoon oil or thin elastic cord
• Toothpick

Directions

1. Help your child mix the flour, salt, water, and oil to make a smooth clay.
2. Roll the clay into small beads. Poke a hole through each bead with a toothpick.
3. Let the beads air-dry or bake them on a baking sheet at 350ºF for 10 minutes.
4. Have your child paint the beads in the Kwanzaa colors of red, green, and black.
5. Or if she likes, she can paint the beads to look like the hides of African animals: white with black stripes for a zebra, orange with black spots for a cheetah, and so on.
6. Finish the beads with clear acrylic spray.
7. String the beads on fishing line, beading thread, or thin elastic cord to make a necklace.

More on: Activities for Children Ages 6-10

Excerpted from:

Copyright © 2001 by Patricia Kuffner. Excerpted from The Children's Busy Book with permission of its publisher, Meadowbrook Press.

To order this book visit Meadowbrook Press.