Candy (Cheerios) Necklaces (Leis)

On this last day of March I thought I'd share something fun with you all and pray that Spring will arrive soon. Even though it feels like we are still in the dead of winter, especially with snow falling in parts of the upper East Coast. Can we say Global Warming? Anyway, here you go. It might be something to do while you are cooped up inside with the kids.

I did this craft with my son for St. Patrick's Day, but really you can do this craft any day. It doesn't even have to be a holiday. It was inspired by a solutions tip in the February Parents magazine, from a mom in Hawaii who makes cereal leis for her child to snack on in the car. I thought this was a great idea, especially for my daughter, since she never keeps the snack container clipped to her car seat. So I gathered up the supplies I needed and picked up a few items I didn't on my next grocery run.

You'll need the following supplies to create one for yourself:

- string or shoelace

-scissors

-any kind of cereal. I used Cheerios and Apple Jacks.

-straw, cut into small pieces

After pouring the cereal into two separate bowls, I took the string and measured it around my son's neck to get the right length. I then took the straw I cut into small pieces and tied one piece to an end of the string. This is so that the cereal doesn't fall off while stringing it on.

Next, I decided on a pattern and began stringing them on the necklace. Once complete, I removed the straw and tied the two ends together.

My son especially loved this craft. So much, he wanted to make another one after almost immediately devouring his first. It was pretty easy for a four year old to follow. He needed a little help with me holding the string while he put the cereal on, but other than that he did his all himself. The one pictured above I put together for my daughter.

In hindsight I think using a string that didn't unravel would have been better as it caused a problem, especially for my son, until I painted the tips with clear nail polish. And as if the world was answering my question, last week, while walking my son into school, I was admiring the artwork from all the classes posted in the halls when I spotted cereal necklaces hanging on one bulletin board. After a chuckle, I noted what they had done differently and thought to myself, using shoelaces probably would have been a better idea.

So there you have it. A yummy, simple little craft you can do even with small children. It doesn't even have to be a necklace. You could make bracelets or garland for your Christmas tree, even decorations for a birthday party. What I like best about this, is that you most likely have all the supplies already in your house.