Mother's Day Necklaces Made From Recycled Paper & Integrated With Common Core

My Moms Loved These:

The larger beads are paper beads made from recycled coupons & magazine pages.

My Kindergarten students made these for Mother's Day for the last 3 years.  We used colorful magazine pages or coupons because they were thin enough to roll into beads easily.  You will also need glass beads and elastic cording.

How We Got Started:

This is all you need to get started.

I pre-cut lots of long triangles (about 4-5 inches long and about 1.25-1.5 inches wide at the base.

I supplied the class with a box of round toothpicks and elastic jewelry cording which I got at Michaels.  If you want to get fancy, you can also buy necklace clasps, but I just tied ours off really well and they worked fine because the cording is elastic.  Each child also needs a 5 oz paper cup.  You can write each child's name on the bottom of each cup.  They can collect their paper beads in the cup so they can continue to work on them each day until they have enough beads.  We usually make ten beads plus a few extras just in case.  

How We Made The Beads:

I demonstrated how to make a paper bead to a small group of 5 students.  I helped them get started with their first few beads.  They collected them in small waxed cups.

Start rolling tightly on the toothpick from the widest end.  No glue yet.

It is important to keep the toothpicks clean and dry.  If they get sticky with glue, grab a clean one.  Make sure you are using round toothpicks, not the flat ones.  Round toothpicks are tapered at both ends which allows you to remove the beads.

Keep rolling tightly until you are at least half way up the triangle.

Then, it's time to add the glue.

It's OK if the glue oozes out from the sides.  If the glue gets on the toothpick, remove the bead and use a clean toothpick for your next bead.

Continue to roll up to the end of the triangle.

When the triangle is all wrapped up, spread a little more glue on the outside of the bead.  This will give it a shiny look when it's dry and it will help to preserve the bead and protect it from moisture.

Then, slide the bead off of the toothpick and place it in a waxed paper cup or on a pice of wax paper so it won't stick.

The more colorful the paper, the more beautiful the beads.

Then, you are ready to start making another bead.

I collect mine in groups according to color.  I made one in blue tones an one in earth tones for myself and I have worn them for four years.  :)

My students string these on elastic cording.  They begin with ten store-bought beads and then they add one paper bead.  They continue this pattern until the necklace is long enough.

This pattern has 3 round beads, 3 long beads, 3 round beads and then a paper bead.

You can add a store-bought clasp (check out Michael's) or just tie it off really well.

We wrapped the necklaces in a little piece of tissue paper and slipped them into a Mother's Day card.
The moms love them and I see them wearing their recycled necklaces all the time.  :)

Be sure to check out the Mother's Day Hats we made by clicking HERE
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And you can check out my TPT store by clicking Here.

See you all tomorrow!

Palma :)