by MaryAnn F. Kohl

What child doesn't love wearable art? Your preschooler will enjoy the hands-on fun of making and shaping homemade clay. When she's done, she'll have a beautiful hand-painted necklace to wear!

What You Need:

  • 3/4 cup (150 g) flour
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) salt
  • Powdered tempera or powdered vegetable dye for color
  • 3/8 cup (90 ml) warm water
  • Bowl
  • Toothpicks
  • String or yarn
  • Tempera paint (optional)
  • Clear gloss enamel (optional)

What You Do:

  1. Mix the flour, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl. For colored dough, add powdered tempera or powdered vegetable dye to the mixture.
  2. Gradually stir in the warm water until the mixture can be kneaded into a stiff dough.
  3. Have your child knead the dough. Add a little flour if the dough is too sticky to work with.
  4. Help your child roll the dough into small beads.
  5. Poke a hole through each bead with a toothpick and let them dry for a few days. Try this trick for drying the beads: stick toothpicks into a ball of Play-Doh, then place one bead on each toothpick. Twist the beads periodically during the drying time to make sure they don't stick to the toothpicks.
  6. Once the beads have dried competely, you can decorate them with tempera paint or add a glossy finish with clear gloss enamel (optional).
  7. String the beads on a length of yarn or string. To keep the beads in place, tie knots in the string between each bead.

Now your child has a beautiful homemade clay necklace to show off with her favorite outfit! You can make necklaces, bracelets, anklets—whatever strikes your child's fancy.