These enamel-style necklaces are a great craft for older kids & tweens. So simple to make, but the finished creations look amazing.
To make these necklaces, all you need are 3 things; washers (we bought ours from a hardware store), nail varnish, & thread/cord. We wanted a variety of colours for this craft, so asked friends if they had any unwanted nail varnish. We ended up with quite a selection!
Before you start, cover your surface with an old cloth or bin bag. Newspaper isn't ideal as it will stick to the varnish.
We always take this activity outside due to the smell of the varnish, but if you would like to make these indoors, I recommend doing so in a well-ventilated area.
To transform the washer into a colorful necklace, simply add a coat of coloured nail varnish & set aside to dry. We left ours for 30 mins & then added an extra coat if any metal was showing through.
We also found it useful to add just a small amount of blu tack to the back of the washers to prevent them from slipping when the varnish was applied.
After painting a few washers, we soon discovered that you could create patterns by gently adding tiny drops of different colours onto the wet varnished surface.
It's fascinating to watch how the colours blend & form a variety of different shapes depending on how much varnish is added.
To create different patterns, we discovered that if you run a cocktail stick through drops of varnish, you can create fabulous feathered shapes by moving the stick in different directions. Obviously, the more the colours are moved around, the more they mix together.
Be aware that the more varnish you add, the longer it takes to dry. We left our multi-coloured creations to dry overnight before threading the cord through to complete our necklaces.
We've had so much fun with this activity & have quite a collection now to share with friends & family!
These would make a great activity for a kid's fundraising project too.
Who would've thought these beautiful enamel-style necklaces were made from a washer & nail polish!
Looking for more activities for older kids & teenagers? Take a look at these ideas.
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