FIRST EVER Working Wednesdays: Make a Wish Necklaces

This is our first Working Wednesday blog (that couldn’t get posted until Thursday because of internet issues! Sorry)! It's pretty exciting! This is the blog where we tell you about work we do or special projects we do. I had hinted that this was going to be about the recital jewelry but wanted to do something a little simpler for the first blog so we are talking about the teacher gifts the girls gave their teacher at the end of the school year Make a Wish Necklaces.

In general, these are very simple to make, but I wanted to explain why they are special to us. In this house, we believe that making a wish is the first step into reaching your goals. When you make a wish on a dandelion, you are telling the universe what you want to create in your life, like a little prayer of intention. You take that wish and work towards it. That’s what teachers do too! They are the first step into preparing kids for their futures. They help them discover their strengths and weaknesses, the subjects they are passionate about and things that they must work harder to do well. This is why we thought these necklaces would be the perfect gifts!

Making the Necklaces

Supplies:

Dandelion seeds

Small jars with cork lid (we got the kind with a hook already in the cork)

Tweezers

Resin (mixed when needed)

Disposable measuring cup

Mixing stick

First Lou and I went and gathered Dandelions a few weeks before. We put them in a mason jar and let them completely dry out, and they bloom in the jar. Then I lined all the jars up and used the tweezers to get a single dandelion seed form in the jar, which can be challenging since they are so small and are easily damaged. I then place each one into a jar. I then mixed a very small amount resin to seal the jars. The resin comes in two parts: a resin and a hardener. You mix it at a 1:1 ratio measured by volume, meaning it requires equal amounts of both resin and hardener. Mixing the resin and hardener together creates a chemical reaction, transforming them from a liquid into a solid you need an extremely small amount of resin, but I always mix ¼ of an oz and use the extra on another project to not waste it. I use the mixing stick into the resin and put it on the rim of the jars, being extra careful not to touch the dandelion seed. Then you put the lid into the jars. I then add a dot of resin on the lid to reinforce the hook to the lid. Let the jars dry for at least 24 hours. Then attach a jump ring to the hook and put them on to the cord necklace.

Making the Cards

Supplies:

Black card stock

White paper

Stamp pad

Thank you stamp

Scissor

White crayon

White paint

pencil

Glues

Envelops

First, I took the stamp and filled the white paper with as many stamps as I could. I got about 10 to a page, so I needed two pages. (made 16) I cut them out. I got eight pieces of the black card stock, folded it in half to cut. I then folded each of the halves. I cut a slit into the top corners on the outside of the card. These will hold the necklaces. We used the white crayon to draw a dandelion stem. We took the pencil and dipped the end into the paint “bubbles” across the front of the card to represent floating dandelion seeds. We glued the Thank you message inside each card and left them overnight for the paint and glue to completely dry. In the morning, the girls signed the cards and we put the necklaces on to the cards by attaching sliding the cord of the necklaces into the slits. Then we tied the rest of the cord in the back of the card. Lastly, they put each necklace into the envelopes.

With the Extra Resin

Since I was already using the little jars, I took some tiny beads and poured them into the jar. I poured the last of the resin on top of the beads. Then used the mixing stick to coat the rim of the jar, secured lid and hook and let it dry with the other necklaces. For such a simple project, this is actually one of my favorites, and I even kept it for myself, and I wear it A LOT!