Jan 28

Jan 28 DIY: Beanie baby necklaces

Wear a little bean close to your heart

In one of my favorite American children folk songs, "The Garden Song," the steps of planting a garden are lovingly sung “inch by inch, row by row.” The song tells us that to make a seed grow, we should “tune our bodies… to the music of the land.”

During the Hebrew month of Shevat and for the Jewish holiday Tu B’Shevat (on the 15th of the month of Shevat), families can celebrate this time of year by planting seeds. One special way to make a seed grow is for children to use the warmth of their bodies to help a little seed start its growing journey in a DIY beanie baby necklace.

When a child is so closely linked to helping a seed grow or helping to plant a garden, they are experiencing the Jewish value Ma’aseh B’reishit (Miracle of Creation).

To make your own beanie baby necklace, you will need:

Dried lima bean
Small plastic jewelry bag
Cotton ball
Yarn
Pony beads
Hole punch
Scissors
Optional - pink and black sharpie marker to draw a face on your bean :)
Optional - white felt sticker sheet, google eyes, glue, marker

Here’s how to make your own beanie baby necklace:

1. Select a bean and say hello! Draw a face on it if you’d like with the sharpie markers.

2. Take your small plastic bag and punch a hole near the top.

3. Ask your child to take the cotton ball and moisten it with water. Tuck the bean inside the cotton ball and place it in the bag

4. Cut a long piece of yarn and pull it through the hole.

5. Now it’s time for your child to string colorful pony beads onto the yarn on each side of the bag. Tie the ends of the yarn together after the beads have been added.

Optional - To extend the activity, you can help your child make a DIY little happy bean sticker for the outside of the bag. Cut out an oval from the white felt sticker, glue on the google eyes, and draw a smile. Peel and stick your happy bean on the bag.

The beanie baby necklace is now ready to be worn next to your child’s heart! The warmth of their bodies will “wake up” the seed and help it grow. When they are not wearing the beanie baby, put it on a sunny window sill. Have your child check the beanie baby often. When it starts to grow, the bean will split. Lima beans may become dark and spotty in the bag, but that’s okay. It’s still growing. In about a week or so, it will have a little root and tiny leaves. At this time, your child can take it out of the bag and replant it in a paper cup or a container garden. (Read even more about planting seeds during the month of Shevat here).

Let us know if you make a beanie baby necklace in the comments below, and let us know if your child thought it was special for their little bean to “wake up” from warmth of their body.

There are so many fun activities for families to do together to celebrate the month of Shevat and Jewish holiday Tu B’Shevat. Click here for DIY Edible Almond Trees, Birthday of the Trees Nature Walk, DIY Recyclable Party Hats, Plant a Tree Seedling, Visit a Strawberry Farm and make a Tu B’Shevat Fruit Salad, and Planting Early Spring Peas for Passover.

Happy Shevat and Tu B’Shevat! ♥

~Jennifer