Christmas Presents for My Two Older Nieces

...and by "older", I mean that they are older than my four-month-old niece.  I am a bad aunt, because I don't remember their exact ages--I believe the oldest just turned 4, and the younger is about to turn 3.  

I think?

Don't quote me on that.

Anyway, these are the wonderful daughters of the sister-in-law I blogged about in my last entry.  I truly enjoy being around them, because they are smart, well-mannered, and so full of life and wonder that it's rather humbling.  (I think that's why I haven't a clue about their ages--they just seem so much older than they are.)

Also: they like manatees.  How cool is that?

Part of my Christmas present to them--
Beads and cotton thread, for them to make their own necklaces!
For when mama thinks they're ready for such things, of course.  :)

Now, I really, really wanted to make them necklaces for Christmas (and to get on the "good aunt" list), so I asked their mother what their favorite colors were.  

I found out that the oldest likes blue and yellow, and her younger sister likes pink and purple (and Belle and Spiderman, but that didn't go with the theme).

Now, there was one complication. 

Oh, the possibilities in that tub!

You see, I had never made necklaces for young girls before.  I was torn, because I wanted to make something fancy and shiny, but also something that they could pull on and off themselves.

No matter how hard I tried, though, I just couldn't get it right.  Apparently, sometimes the simplest ideas can be the hardest.  "Why don't I make necklaces for my nieces?" turned into "Ack why can't I get this to work?!"

Eventually, after much trial-and-error-and-pulling-out-of-hair, I compromised by going with two different design ideas. 

The first was the standard fancy necklace--with real glass beads and real clasps, that they would have to get help taking on and off.

The necklace for the younger sister was made in shades of pale-pink and purple-pink:

Glass pearls and crystal bicones.

Close-up of the necklace.

The necklace itself was about 12-13 inches long--
just the perfect length, when she put it on.

The necklace for the older sister was made in shades of yellow and turquoise:

Glass pearls, crackled glass, and seed beads.

Shiny!

I have a soft place in my heart for crackled glass...
I mean, just look at the way the light refracts and shimmers.

The second idea was the dress-up necklace, that they could take on and off themselves.  I had originally wanted to string these necklaces completely on yarn--except that the beads that I wanted to use didn't have big enough holes.  

So, instead, I compromised: I strung the beads on beading wire, and then attached it to yarn.

Here's the necklace for the younger sister:

The yarn is a little crinkly--but it straightened
right out when she put it on.

The color of those dark purple beads didn't quite picture
well--they were less blue and more grape-y.

 
And here's the necklace for the older sister:

Blue and yellow, oh my!

Those big striated beads always make me think of lanterns.

Despite stressing and planning and redoing the designs over and over again, I got the mother seal-of-approval (I showed them to her before wrapping them up).  

...And when I gave the necklaces to the girls, their eyes lit up like the Christmas tree.  They immediately wanted to put them on.  They even went around and showed everyone their new necklaces.

Now, do I think that young girls should be defined by their jewelry, or by how they look?  Of course not.  But I do think that it's important for them to have something that they could call their own--something shiny that makes them smile.

And, besides, I think those dress-up necklaces will look smashing with their Spiderman pajamas.  :D

So, here's to my two amazing nieces--and to their wonderful parents, who are raising them up right.