Little Hands – Pumpkin Seed Necklace

Autumn is gorgeous so far, and as much as we hate to see the warm days dwindle away, the cool mornings and the play of light on the red and orange backdrop bring a smile to our faces. With Halloween around the corner, we thought this was a good time to add a few projects to our Little Hands segment, beginning with this easy, fun and colorful pumpkin necklace.

As you might imagine, this hardly requires instructions, but we thought we’d outline a process anyway. since this project lends itself to a series of steps over a few days, stretching the moment and providing entertainment on more than one occasion. Ready?

Part 1

Step one: Scrape pumpkin pulp from fresh pumpkins. This is the part where kids are allowed to make a happy mess. Save the seeds. Store pulp in the refrigerator.
Step two: Rinse the seeds in warm water, thoroughly.
Step three: Spread the seeds on a towel. Allow to dry overnight.
Alternative: Dry the seed in the oven.

Part 2

Step four: Take a trip to a craft store to get a package of assorted beads or buttons. Optional.

Part 3

Step five: Make pumpkin pie, allowing the kids to help, of course.
Step six: Set up a table with felt markers, heavy thread, sewing needles, scissors, seeds and beads.
Step seven: Serve pie and milk for the kids, pie and tea or coffee for yourself.
Step eight: Feast on the pie, taking the time to savor every bite, while coloring seeds. Any color will do, but orange and black will make a stunning Halloween statement. Alternative: You can also place the seed in food dye overnight.
Step nine: Make necklaces or bracelets by stringing as many seeds and beads as you wish. Stringing randomly is fun, but creating a pattern can be more engaging for those young, creative minds.
Notice: Very young children can hand you the seeds and decide on the color scheme while you string. Also, small needle-nose pliers can be helpful.

Part 4

Step ten: Dress up. Adorn the new jewelry and take lots of pictures.

Find more Little Hands Projects HERE.