School is just around the corner! Each year, it seems that no matter how original I think we are, my daughter ends up having the same back pack as other kids in her class.
While I have her name inside of her backpack, I don’t like to have it on the outside (for safety reasons). As much as I tell her to make sure she gets her own, there have been times where she and a classmate end up with one another’s backpacks.
One way to set them apart is with a small charm. My daughter and I actually make these ourselves instead of buying them. They are fun and easy to make and help her to make sure she grabs the right backpack each and every time!
SUPPLIES:
Key ring
Paracord or ribbon
Plastic or wooden beads (larger holes will work better)
Hollow plastic animal
Box cutter or knife
Lighter
Cut the paracord or ribbon to about 12″ (we use paracord because it is stronger than ribbon). Tie the paracord using a slip knot. It should look like the image above.
Next, string beads onto the paracord. You can purchase plastic colored beads or even paint small wooden beads to get the colors you want. Just make sure that you use beads with larger holes as those will slide onto the cord a little easier.
After you have the beads strung, you can add your animal. Use a knife or box cutter and cut a small x into the top of the animal and also into the bottom stomach. Run both strings or ribbon through the animal and slide it into place. Tie a secure knot to ensure it stays in place.
Trim off the extra ribbon or cord. Use a lighter to lightly seal the ends of the cord to prevent fraying.
Once you are all finished, your backpack charm is ready to attach to your backpack!
The best thing about this is that your child can personalize it to make it their own. By changing the colors and animal, they can make what they want.
This is a really FUN craft idea to make at a birthday party. Just have the cuts already made in the animals so that kids are not handling a knife or box cutter. Also make sure an adult does the snipping and sealing with the lighter.