Fabric Bead Necklaces

I think Charlotte may end up with at least 75 baby teeth.  I say this because she has been teething since November.  Let me back up--her bottom two teeth arrived within days of each other around Thanksgiving.  She was kind of fussy and not herself for several weeks before they finally showed up.  We got a decent break from the madenss, then sometime in January the teething business started up again.  A couple weeks went by, no teeth.  This pattern continued, off and on, until mid-March when she finally got more teeth--3 on the top, all within a couple days.  Now she's at it again, with another tooth poking thru on the bottom and several places where it looks like they'll show up any day.

So why am I boring you with the details of my daughter's tooth drama?  Because when Charlotte is ticked off about teething she wants to be carried around, which then means she wants to grab/chew/pull everything on my person, especially necklaces.  I love wearing necklaces, but I have to be careful since she can pull hard (really--she's broken 2 chains already) and I don't want her ruining anything or hurting herself.  Awhile back I blogged about a necklace I bought at the Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show (check the post out here).  It was a fabric bead necklace that was super-cute and safe for a teething baby.  It was made entirely of fabric, so no chains to break or cut into my neck if pulled.  I decided to make one of my own and found a bunch of pictures and several tutorials.  After experimenting, I came up with my own necklace and tutorial that I think is fun, easy and fast.  I love these necklaces--and they're not just for moms with young babies.  Anyone can wear them, but the "safe for teething baby" part is an added perk!

I made my necklace using the following supplies:

1 fat quarter (I recommend pre-washing)
Coordinating thread
Large wooden beads (I used 9 for one necklace)
Scissors
Sewing machine & needle
Iron

 You'll need quite a bit of length of fabric for this project since all the knots you'll be tying will use it up quickly.  Don't worry if the strip you make seems way too long--it won't be, and any excess will get trimmed at the end.

I cut 4 strips the length of the fabric, each 4" wide. 

 

I sewed each strip, end to end, to create one long strip.  (1/4" seam allowances)

 Press the seams open, then fold in half with right sides together.  Press and pin.

Sew the entire edge length using a 1/4" seam allowance, leaving both short ends open.  Trim, then turn right side out--this will take some patience :)  Once the whole tube is turned, press.

Next, tie a single knot (tightly), leaving about a 15" tail.

Insert a wooden bead at the open end and slide all the way down to the knot.  Tie another knot tightly against the bead.  Repeat this process until you have the length you want.

Once you've inserted your last bead, tie one last knot in front of it.  Hold the necklace up while you admire yourself in the mirror and decide how long you want it to be.  Trim the ends about 1/2" from the points you marked.  On one end, fold in the raw edges about 1/4" and press.

Insert the other end into the one you just folded (you may need to rip out a few seams to get it to fit--don't worry, they'll get closed back up in a second).

Stitch across the bottom seam, back-stitching a few times to reinforce, and stitch from the top to bottom of the seam, just to make sure it's held in place securely.

You could also trim the ends close to the first and last knots, then insert ribbon in and sew shut to make an adjustable necklace that ties in the back.  It's just as simple, but make sure you put something on the ends of the ribbon so it doesn't fray.

I'm making a bunch of these in different colors now, and I'm thinking of making a bracelet...that might be cute.  

Happy sewing!

~Stacy