Easy DIY Animal Necklaces on Hello Bee

There’s something about little plastic animals that is so hard to resist. They’re fun to play with and it feels pretty awesome to wear one around your neck! When I found these colorful dinosaurs and fantasy horses in the Dollar Spot at Target, I knew they would be perfect for wearing. Regular plastic animals work for this too, so grab whatever you can find and make a necklace or two for your older preschoolers…and maybe one for you too!

Animal Necklace Supplies

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Here’s what you need:

Small plastic animals
Perle cotton embroidery thread
Wooden beads

You’ll also need:

Scissors
Thumbtack
Needle with a large eye

Plastic Animal Types

First, notice that these creatures fall into two types: Some have bellies you can wrap, and some don’t. Both will work, but you’ll need to work with them differently. Depending on the animals you have, you may need to get creative, or set some aside.

Wrapping the belly

Cut a 36-inch piece of perle cotton. For the kind with bellies and flat-ish backs, start at the center of the string and wrap it around the belly several times.

Tying the knot

Hold the two strings together and tie a tight knot close to the back of the animal.

Adding beads

Add some wooden beads to the doubled string.

Knot with a bead

Tie a knot through and around a bead so that the necklace is the length you want, and trim off any excess. Adding the bead to the knot will prevent the other beads from sliding off.

Making a hole

For animals with elements that prevent you from wrapping the string, such as wings or scales, use a thumbtack to make a hole through the plastic. Since these areas are usually thinner, it’s pretty easy to make the hole.

Threading the necklace

Thread a 36-inch piece of perle cotton through the needle, then pass it through the hole in the animal.

Knot and add a bead

Tie a knot close to the animal, as with the wrapped creature. Add a bead.

Add more beads

You can add beads just like with the wrapped animal, or string beads onto the two separate strings. Tie the ends together with a bead and a strong knot.

Easy DIY Animal Necklaces

Make one, or make a bunch!

Easy DIY Animal Necklaces

For extra fun and to get your kids involved even more with these, try painting the beads with watercolors, or adding some glitter to the animals!

Easy DIY Animal Necklaces

These little guys are fun for everyday, and perfect for party favors!

Happy crafting!