DIY jewelry kits.

In the spirit of DIYing my Christmas presents... I thought that I'd give the gift of DIY! :] So basically, I DIYed DIY kits. Ha, see what's goin' on there? I like it. But anyway...

I just know that as a parent, I hate don't love getting a bunch of big/useless toys that he probably won't play with and will just end up in a pile of junk after a month. (I live in a tiny apartment. I ain't got room for that!) I'll be honest, I've given my fair share of those, but I try to keep it in mind. While these DIY kits can definitely end up being messy in and of themselves, I thought that these could at least be saved for a fun rainy day activity!

Originally, I was really inspired by these geo wood beads and thought about making jewelry for myself. Then I thought about making jewelry for a few family and friends for Christmas. Then once I realized how much work all of that would be, I thought, why don't I just make the kids do it themselves?!

DONE.


So here is what I bought:

• 2 packages of wooden letter beads
• 1 package of large polygon beads
• 1 package of medium polygon beads
• 1 package of wooden square beads
• 1 package of small wooden round beads
• 2 packages of elastic cord multipacks (similar to these)
• 1 package of assorted wood beads and spacers
• 5 bottles of assorted acrylic paint
• 3 packages of plastic paint cups
• 1 set of paint brushes
• 5 foam brushes
• 5 bead storage sets (similar to these, but smaller)
• some clasps, jump rings and spacer beads

Now I know that sounds like a ton of stuff, but out of the above, not only did I make 5 DIY jewelry kits (which included a pre-made piece of jewelry), I also made 4 geo bead necklaces as separate gifts (which will be featured in a later post). Also, if you do some shopping or make your way through ebay, you can find the above supplies for a total steal.


Each kit consisted of:

• 1 bead storage case
• 1 compartment contained all clasps and jump rings with 2 letter beads for their initials
• other compartments were filled with assorted wooden beads
• 2 paints brushes and 1 foam brush
• 5 plastic paint cups filled with acrylic paint (to match my pre-made jewelry)
• 3 plastic paint cups filled with various cording
• 1 bracelet or necklace painted and assembled for inspiration
• 1 note that states:
• "Merry Christmas! Enclosed is your very own DIY jewelry kit that contains everything you need to paint and create some beautiful jewelry. Have it match your bracelet/necklace, or make something completely unique!"  

Putting everything together was pretty simple! The only items that took some effort were the little handmade jewelry pieces that I made and provided. I figured if they weren't really into DIYing, at least they made out with something already done. My only issue was my incredible UN-motivation to wrap things this year. This gift is not gift bag friendly, so wrapping was necessary. Blergh.

All in all, the gift was easy on time, and easier on the pocket - the perfect combo.