make something monday :: teething necklace

Josie has been teething like crazy the past few weeks no actual teeth have popped through just yet but she is drooling and chewing up a storm on anything she can get into her mouth. This past weekend when we were exploring the city I had her with me in the ergo carrier and she was a busy bee. I kept thinking that I wish I had a necklace on that she could put in her mouth and play with that I wouldn't be picking up repeatedly and cleaning off. I have often admired the teething necklaces made my Tweet Baby Designs and thought that I might be able to make one myself using an old sheet and some beads. It didn't take long to put this one together and Josie seems to love it.
I made this necklace for me to wear and Josie to play with - it's nice to have it on me so that she can't drop it but I couldn't get a picture of the two of us so this one will have to do this morning...here is how I put it together.
You will need:

♥ a long piece of fabric or vintage sheet cut 5" wide and as long as you can make it. Mine was 54" long.

♥ some large wood or plastic beads. I had these lucite beads on hand since I have an insane amount of jewelry making supplies around here but you can buy cheap bags of wood beads at the craft store.

♥ scissors and a sewing machine

1. Cut a strip of fabric 5" wide by roughly 54" long. sew it together with right sides facing and then flip it right side out and form a long tube.

2. Measure about 13" from one end and then tie the tube into a knot.

3. Slip your first bead into the tube and then tie another knot right after the bead.

4. Continue adding beads and knots until you have about the same length as the first side of your tube left. Finish with a knot.

5. Now cut each end of the tube into three equal strips - feel free to snip and then tear it, it doesn't have to be perfect.

6. Braid each side and then sew the ends together with a sewing machine. I didn't really bother making the back look nice since it is essentially a toy for my daughter but if you wanted to make one as a gift or simply for yourself I would suggest a button on one end and a tiny piece of elastic made into a loop on the other for a simple button closure.
Simple and practical - perfect!

Alright everyone I will be back later with the winners of last weeks giveaway. If you haven't entered yet there is still time I've decided to leave the comments open until 5pm - this is the last day of voting over on circle of moms and if you would consider a last minute thumbs up vote for me today I would be so very grateful. You guys have been so kind and supportive thank you all! If you vote again or have already today make sure to sign your name again HERE for another chance to win!

Have a wonderful Monday friends! xo

57 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing! p.s. I love your blog design!!

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  2. that's really cool! if i have any more babies, i'll totally make one of these :)

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  3. I almost cruised right by this post, since I'm way past the teething baby stage - but Whoa - that's one adorable necklace. My 10 year old would LOVE it - and come to think of it....so would I. What a great easy way to use some of those fabrics I've been hoarding errrr I mean collecting.

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  4. Her skin is like porcelain!

    I want to make one of those just because they look good...

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  5. genius! and i totally agree--this is a super cute look, even without the adorable baby teething on it! xo

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  6. that first photo of josie chomping down is awesome. great idea, i have so many friends who could use this!

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  7. What a great idea!! I have never seen this before it is brilliant and so cute!

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  8. Oh my goodness- how are you this cute and crafty and how can I be you when I grow up.

    best,

    elena

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  9. aww I wish I had one of these when my little guy was teething! great Idea!!!

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  10. I've made a couple of these but I used ribbon to tie mine together. My little one loves to chew on them.

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  11. I love this, so sweet. +Chelsea

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  12. I'm almost sad that my kiddos are pretty much past the teething stage. This is super cute!

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  13. This is perfect, just what I need to make - hopefully she'll stay asleep long enough for me to finish!

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  14. I'd buy one if you make one :) I'm not crafty. Just saying. Finn is right here with Josie so teething necklace would be great.

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  15. this is awesome... i love it. i am on my second child and she is three months old... i am going to make this with your inspiration... i love that fabric too!

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  16. How do you wash this? I am really wanting to make one. Looking at vintage sheets this very moment!

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  17. cleaning? good question I haven't tried it but actually think you might be able too in the washer - hmmm maybe I should wash ours it is getting pretty gross..I would think if you use wood beads you wouldn't want to wash it but sturdy plastic beads? let me get back to you..

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  18. I was just looking at the etsy shop from the link you posted and it said "Machine wash cold and dry on low." for one that has natural wood beads.

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  19. oh great - I suppose if you put it in the dryer the water wouldn't ruin the wood than? I will try it and see if the braiding holds up too I don't think her version has braided fabric either but I am sure that would sustain at least a few washings!

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  20. That's a neat trick, quite handy for the "grabbing" phase too. But don't leave the ring around the baby's neck unsupervised, especially when she's asleep.

    Glenn Koehm

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    Replies
    1. Didn't you read the post? It's for MOTHER'S neck, not the child's!

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  21. any advice on where to buy natural wood beads? nervous i will accidentally buy treated wood from some place crazy filled with toxins

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  22. I found you via Pinterest!! My 4 month old is teething & this is perfect!! Thanks!!

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  23. Did you ever figure out how to wash it? I love this idea and want to make something for my 8 month old.

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  24. I totally googled 'how to make a teething necklace' and this post came up-- thanks! So far, my LO seems to like her new 'toy' and mommy is feeling a little more stylin' these days ;) Also, I wrote a blog post about this, and linked back to your post! (Is that proper blog etiquette, to let you know of this, I'm new to writing blogs!)

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  25. Where did you get the fabric from?

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  26. Thanks for posting! I'm totally going to make one! My little guy is always pulling at the necklaces I wear and putting them in his mouth. He will Love it, and I won't worry so much about my jewelry getting torn off! Thanks!

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  27. That is perfect I wish I had one of those when my kids were little :)

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  28. Fantastic Tutorial! Blogged: http://birdandbicycle.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/sewing-for-baby/

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  29. How do you keep your braided ends from fraying as you are braiding them?

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  30. I do believe I have 3 of these to make! I know 2 babies who are teething right now, 1 is a year, & the other is 6months. The year old's mommy is preg again & will be needing another one for the new baby, will be a great baby shower gift (even if she doesn't have a shower, will still come in hand!)

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  31. I just made this tonight! It was my first ever sewing project with my sewing machine that is almost 7 years old :o I made it for my daughter who is six months old and cutting her fourth tooth in less than two weeks. Ironically I made this in hopes that it will make our trip to Seattle next weekend more enjoyable next weekend! Thanks so much!!

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  32. I found this on pinterest and it is perfect! My little guy chews on the straps of his Ergo and it gets so gross. He is getting Ergo teething pads for Easter, but these beads are even better!

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  33. It's a great idea but I feel so much better if included a *Always check the necklace for wear before letting your baby have it**. Also the button closure could be a choking hazard. Hate to sound like a nervous nelly, but...... <3

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    Replies
    1. Geeeeeez. You don't just sound like a 'Nervous Nelly', you ARE one. Obviously, all good mothers would be checking the necklace to make sure it wouldn't harm their child.
      You seriously need to get over it.

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    2. This attack on the joyced is ridiculous. The very first thing that came into my head reading this post is oh God what a massive choking hazard this thing is. I am appalled at the way you spoke to a fellow mother who's concern is keeping her kids alive. Shame on you. And yes, this is obviously a choking hazard, you don't see any store selling this now do you? There's a reason for that you rude ahole.

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    3. Yup could be a choking hazard if left on a child unattended - but I made it for mom to wear and baby to play with while being carried...we are all entrusted with the gift of caring for our precious children and I think building each other up and encouraging one another is so crucial too!

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    4. It most definitely is a choking hazard and honestly what should happen (this being a post about a DIY necklace) is us mothers should put our heads together to think of a better alternative, not telling people they "seriously need to get over it." Joyced was polite, complimentary about the necklace, and simply trying to be helpful. Rebekah didn't follow the design that she was replicating exactly, and she made changes that she thought would be helpful and stylish. She never claimed to be the Einstein of DIY teething necklaces and I'm sure she was grateful for the compliment. And we all should be grateful to both Rebekah for posting this great necklace and to Joyced for suggesting finding an alternative closure that wouldn't pose a choking hazard. *You* seriously need to get over *yourself.*

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  34. It's a really great idea, I also find your sweater in this picture really beautiful, can you please tell me where did you get it, or did you knit it ?

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  35. LOVE this idea. Thank you for sharing. I have really enjoyed reading your blog and would like to join ten on ten at some point soon. I agree with adeline...LOVE LOVE LOVE your sweater. I am in love with that color right now. It's probably old and is no where to be found but where did you get it!?!

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  36. Hi Adeline and Lori - thanks for the sweet words I got the sweater at anthropologie awhile ago and i love the color too hope that helps!

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  37. I only have 30" in lenght do you think thats too short?

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  38. Did your necklace wash okay?

    I was wondering if marbles would work instead of the wooden beads? Or would they be too big?

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  39. fabulous post! I love the fabric idea since we finally got teeth, the sound of his teeth on the stone necklaces that I have been making is horrifying.

    thanks for sharing!!!!

    Randi
    follow our adventures at www.sowderingabout.com

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  40. GREAT idea! I saw it on Pinterest;) We are using necklace from amberforbabies.com for our DD teething. But yours is much more stylish )))))))

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  41. I enjoyed reading your articles. This is truly a great read for me.
    I have bookmarked it and I am looking forward to reading new articles.

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  42. Thanks for the post. I had been looking for something
    related and found your web site in the process.. I will definitely be back for more.

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  43. Interesting post. I have been wondering about this issue,so thanks for posting.

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  44. Umm...it's super cute, but is it just me, or does this seem really germ-y. I would be washing it more often than would allow the kid to use it. How do you keep it clean.

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  45. The baby was so cute and hoping the baby will surpass the baby teething problems because mostly the babies were encountering teething problems these days.

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  46. I made this necklace last night after my lil man went to bed. Super easy and it turned out soooo cute! Thanks so much for sharing! :)

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  47. Love it. What size beads did you use?
    Thanks

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  48. Do you sell these? I would love to buy a few. The last time I tried sewing, I sewed into my finger... Definitely couldn't do this without at least one ER trip ;-)

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  49. Love the fabric you used and the braided ends. I think I'll try the braiding on my next necklace! Here's the first one I made: http://ediblethoughts-stephanie.blogspot.com/2013/09/red-and-blue-bird-fabric.html.

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  50. The safety issue came to mind here, too. If the beads were big enough, you could string a nylon cord (like mason's string) through the beads and work it into the fabric. Nothing is more terrifying as seeing a child choke on something you can't get a grip on. Of course everyone is careful, but accidents happen. My child choked when the dentist dropped a baby tooth down her throat. (She was fine after lots of tears and some blood from the retrieval).

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  51. This looks fab!! love the fabric you used! Will have to take this idea along to my next crafty night with the girls :) My little possum has her two bottom teeth but the top two coming through. Oh the joys!

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  52. I just made two of these necklaces, one for me and one for a friend of mine. I followed your instructions exactly, even counted out the number of beads. It looks great and I can't wait to use it.

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