Handmade holiday beads

I didn't do as much of a handmade holiday as I wanted to. In fact, I made fewer gifts this year than I have in the past, unless you count printing my photos!


I did make these beaded keychains for my four boys using up hand-me-down beads . I bought the drum charm (on the bottom) from Etsy for my oldest. It is from the US Bicentennial. The two red charms have knights' helmets. I got them for pennies at a garage sale.

The second one from the top is for my youngest. I received a string of beads from a friend a few years ago. It was supposed to be hung to entertain cats. Since we have no cats, I looped it together like a necklace.

My youngest loved to hold onto it while nursing or sitting in his stroller, fingering each unique bead. It broke apart over the summer so I reused some of them, including a bell at one end and a kitty bead at the other.

The boys have hung them from their backpacks. I won't win any awards, especially for how I finished off the ends of the wire that hold the beads together, but the fact that they like them is enough for me.