I am excited to be offering 30 days of fun crafts to keep kids active and entertained this summer! You won’t want to miss a day of these fun crafts for kids from some amazing bloggers! Please be sure to pay them a visit!

Carrie from ThisMamaMakesStuff writes……….

Hello everyone! I’m Carrie from ThisMamaMakesStuff.com, a blog about living a creative and active family life. While I’m thrilled to be part of Craft Camp again this summer, I’m bummed that our summer hasn’t even begun yet!

Beaded T-shirt Bracelet

A Child’s First Crochet Project

As an avid refashionista, I’m always looking for more ways to reuse a basic t-shirt and as a long time crocheter with an 8 year old daughter who’s just learning the skill, I came up with this crocheted t-shirt bracelet made from a simple chain stitch and pony beads. Even if you don’t crochet, this is a summer project you and your child can learn to do together.

Supplies needed for beaded T-shirt bracelet.Materials needed for beaded t-shirt bracelet:
Men’s Large T-shirt without side seams.
Scissors or Rotary Cutter (a rotary cutter is much easier)
Ruler
Large Crochet Hook (we used size N – you can find these at your local craft store for about $1.50)
Pony Beads – we used UV color changing beads which are totally awesome

Cut 1 inch T-shirt strips.Cut off hem of t-shirt. Using a ruler, cut 1″ strips of fabric parallel to the bottom of the shirt. Strips will be continuous circles of fabric. One bracelet can be made from each strip.

Open the fabric strip with a diagonal cut and pull to create a "knit noodle."Open the fabric strip with a diagonal cut and pull to create a “knit noodle.”

Thread beads onto the knit noodle (the diagonal cut should make it easy). We did 14 beads for a bracelet to fit an 8 year old.Thread beads onto the knit noodle (the diagonal cut should make it easy). We did 14 beads for a bracelet to fit an 8 year old.

Tie a slip knot in one end of your knit noodle, leaving a 3" tail on one side. Slide crochet hook into the loop.Tie a slip knot in one end of your knit noodle, leaving a 3″ tail on one side. Slide crochet hook into the loop.

Slide one bead up to the hook.Slide one bead up to the hook.

Start a chain stitch by pulling long end of knit noodle over hook (yarn over).Start a chain stitch by pulling long end of knit noodle over hook (yarn over).
Pulling the noodle over front to back or back to front doesn’t matter as long as you do the same thing for every stitch.

Pull that yarn over through the loop on the hook and repeat.Now pull that “yarn over” through the loop on the hook. You should have one loop on your hook again, ready to repeat the stitch 13 more times: pull up bead, yarn over, pull through loop on hook.

Check out the video to get a better idea of how my eight year old does it, remembering that there is “proper form” to crocheting, but when you teach kids, the proper way to hold a hook and work the “yarn” oftentimes feels awkward and frustrating to little hands. Show them the stitch they are trying to learn and then let them do it in a way that works for them.

When you've crocheted each of the beads, it's time to "finish off." Use the hook to pull all the excess "knit noodle" through the last chain stitch until the end pops out and stitches are secure.When you’ve crocheted each of the beads, it’s time to “finish off.” Use the hook to pull all the excess “knit noodle” through the last chain stitch until the end pops out and stitches are secure. (video help HERE – it sounds more complicated than it is)

Tie ends together around wrist and trim.Tie ends together around wrist and trim.

Now you've got a finished bracelet.Now you’ve got a finished bracelet! It might look a little plain inside the house…

Beaded T-shirt Bracelet in the sun.  Look the beads changed colors.…but with UV color changing beads, there’s a surprise waiting once you set out into the sun!

Even though we used white shirts and color changing beads, colored shirts and colored pony beads are fun too. Make sure to slide beads onto the knit noodle in the same pattern you want to see in the finished bracelet.

Various colored t-shirts, beads and a finished beaded T-shirt bracelet.A few more tips:

Using a T-shirt without side seams is crucial since the pony beads will not slide over the bulk of a side seam. But don’t worry! They are really easy to find in many different colors at the thrift store. You probably even have a bunch of them in your own house.

You might want to let your new crocheter practice the chain stitch without using the beads at first.

Need more help learning to crochet a chain stitch? Check out this helpful series.

If crocheting it too frustrating for your and/or your child, you can use the same idea but braid a bracelet with beads instead.

Younger children who might not be able to crochet, can help stretch the knit noodles and string the beads, leaving the crocheting step to mom (or dad!).


About Cindy Hopper

Learn More

you may also like

Comments

  1. I love this site! I am always trying out the new ideas from Skip To My Lou. I tell everyone I know about it. This beaded bracelet was a perfect simple project for my 3 year old son to help me with. He is finishing a special preschool class “Get Ready For Kindergarten” next week and has made some very special friends (whom are girls – go figure!) I thought the bracelets were a perfect goodbye gift for them from him. He was so excited to help me with them and wrap them up to give. Thanks again for all your fantastic ideas!

  2. Super easy! I showed my daughter (6 yo) and we took the supplies to the pool. We had 4 bracelets made in a jiffy and she shared with her swim buddies. Thanks for sharing!

  3. This a great craft to teach my grandaughter and she is going to love making them for all her friends. Thank you for the great idea.

  4. This will be a great craft for my teenage nieces when I see them this summer. I’ll bring the supplies and we’ll have a good session. Thanks so much for the inspiration and great instructions!

  5. When you cut the 1″ strips, each one will be a continuous loop since the shirt is a circle. You need to cut it so it’s a long strip. Making that cut on a diagonal makes it easier to thread the beads.

  6. I don’t get the “Diagonal Cut” part? Do you make another cut after making the strips?

  7. When I first saw the link, I though “another T-shirt bracelet?!?” This is super cute though…and I haven’t seen this kind before. My daughter would love to make these.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *