This post is about a new way to make a classic kid’s craft: the cereal necklace. Don’t miss the list of ways to extend the craft at the end of the post!
I get that you need to keep your kids busy because you feel stressed about all the stuff you need to get done today. That’s why my mission is to…
1. Find fun, quality kids’ activities and show you step by step how to do them.
2. Save you time and energy by using supplies from around the house or show you where to easily get them.
3. Inspire you to be creative and play with your kids in new and exciting ways.
Classic Cereal Necklace Craft: Revamped!
The cereal necklace is a classic and simple craft: thread O-shaped cereal on a string, tie the ends together and eat it, right?
I actually hated this craft as a child for several reasons: The yarn ends were too flimsy to thread cereal on. It was too hard to wrap the tape around the ends of the yarn tight enough so it wouldn’t get caught on the cereal. Little yarn fibers got stuck on my tongue when I tried eating the cereal off my necklace. Yuck.
So I didn’t want to try this with my toddler.
But one day I was desperate enough.
And luckily I was hit by a lightning bolt of inspiration at just the right moment.
Use gimp.
(You may call it something else. Craft lace. Plastic lacing cord. Boondoggle. Scoubidou. That stuff for making lanyards at summer camp.)
It’s sturdy. It won’t fray. You don’t need to tape the ends. It’s just small enough to thread through a Cheerio. It doesn’t have little fibers that come off it.
And for all you germophobes, you can actually wash it before you use it, so it’s clean enough to eat off of.
Looking for an organized guide of fun, easy activities to do with your toddler that also encourages their growth and development?
I’ve created a 3-month activity planner just for busy parents like you! The plan includes 65 detailed, simple, and stress-free activities including: arts and crafts, sensory play, motor skills, and STEM–all using easy-to-find supplies.
Let me help make planning activities for your toddler easy, so you can skip the stress and get straight to the fun!
How We Made a Cereal Necklace with Craft Lace
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I had a huge box of gimp left over from my all-too-distant kiddie craft days. I let Ella pick the color she wanted.
We didn’t have the gold standard of cereal necklaces a.k.a. Fruit Loops, but we did have Apple Jacks, which are a big step up from plain Cheerios (which we did also throw in there if you’re looking closely).
I put a little bit of cereal in a bowl, cut a 15” length of gimp (way too small for a necklace BTW; I recommend using 2 feet), showed Ella how to thread, then just let her do her thing.
Ella kept asking, “Can I eat it now?” about every time she threaded one on.
I said, “Put a few more on, please.”
“Ooooookaaaayyy!”
Two Apple Jacks later…
“Can I eat it now?”
“… yes.”
“So yummy, Mommy!”
Your Turn! Make a Cereal Necklace with Craft Lace
I recommend cutting the craft lace to 24 inches if the kids want to hang it around their necks. But a cereal bracelet would also be just as fun to make!
Cereal Necklace Craft
Supplies
- 1 cup O-shaped cereal (Fruit Loops, Apple Jacks, any kind of Cheerio)
- Craft lace
- Tape
Instructions
- Cut a piece of craft lace about 2 feet long.
- Tape one end to the table.
- Thread cereal on the other end.
- Tie the ends together to make a necklace.
And yes, you can always use string or yarn with a little bit of tape wrapped around one end to stiffen it and make it easier to thread. I won’t judge.
Ideas to spice up the cereal Necklace Craft
- Try making patterns with different colored cereal. Older kids might want to try more complex patterns like: ABBA, AABBCC, ACBC, etc.
- Using Fruit Loops, sort the cereal by color first, and then make a rainbow necklace!
- Teach simple math concepts, such as counting, addition, or subtraction using the cereal.
Looking for an organized guide of fun, easy activities to do with your toddler that also encourages their growth and development?
I’ve created a 3-month activity planner just for busy parents like you! The plan includes 65 detailed, simple, and stress-free activities including: arts and crafts, sensory play, motor skills, and STEM–all using easy-to-find supplies.
Let me help make planning activities for your toddler easy, so you can skip the stress and get straight to the fun!
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Looking for more easy, indoor activities to entertain your toddler? Check out this mega-list of awesome indoor activities!