Secret Message Valentine Necklace

This valentine necklace is fun for children in grades Pre K-3 to make. Even though this may seem like a relatively simple project, it is wonderful with helping children with their counting and grouping as they place the beads and hearts on the necklace. Older children enhance their motor skills as they try to cut the hearts out on the lines. No matter what the age, however, all children in my class, when I presented this project to them, took special joy in writing their "secret message" on the back of the hearts.

Materials:

• Yarn
• Beads
• Red cardstock, foam, or poster board
• Heart stickers
• Sequins or glitter glue
• White crayon (if you are using the foam, you will need a white jell pen)
• Hole punch

Procedure:

1. Make a heart pattern for the child. Have them trace and cut three hearts. Punch two holes in the top of each heart so the yarn can be threaded through. Have the child write their secret message (Be Mine, I Love You, Be My Valentine) on the back of each heart. On the front, add a heart sticker to the center, and use sequins or glitter glue to decorate around the edge of each heart.
2. Cut the yarn to a length to give plenty of room to go over the child's head. String on 10 beads, a heart, 10 more beads, another heart, 10 more beads, the last heart, and 10 final beads.
3. Tie the yarn ends together.

Copyright © 2002 RBG Crafts

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