Valentines Candy Bracelets

This is such a fun sweet idea to give to the ones you love for Valentines Day OR any day to make someone feel special!!! It could even be a sweet surprise in your child's lunch at school! These bracelets  could be made with many different treats! I chose three different types of valentine candies as examples (Tootsie Rolls, Gum Balls, and Jelly Beans).

There are also other options if you want to stay away from artificial dyes. Jelly Belly has Snapple jelly beans that are colored with real fruit....It's still sugar but a little bit better choice! =)

 Now, the reason it's great I did this first is so I can tell you the reality of this project. This is more of an adult or older child project. I thought it was going to be a lot easier than it was. 

At first I started out with a LARGE needle so I could thread elastic string through it and so my kids could hold onto it better. The needle and elastic were so thick that there was NO WAY a child could do it!

 I changed things up a bit so my 4 year old could get involved! I got out a small sewing needle and dental floss (very thin AND will hold up a lot better than thread)! I was nervous about the small needle but my daughter did well after I talked to her about being careful! Of course the elastic string bracelets are easier to get on and off but its just way to much trouble to make them with it! Anyways, once a child gets a hold of one of these, I'm sure they wont be wearing them long before they GOBBLE them up! =)

If you are going to make a bracelet out of jelly beans, they are sticky when you poke the needle through. The needle needs to be wiped every other bean because of sticky residue. My 7 year old could do the jelly beans by himself but my 4 year old daughter needed help. I would say, the best way to involve a younger child would be to first take a LARGE sewing needle and poke holes through your gum balls. I say gum balls because there is no sticky residue. When you do this it makes them like beads and they are very easy to thread. 

It was hardest to string the Tootsie Rolls because I did it lengthwise. I figured if I did it the other way you would need TOO MANY to make one bracelet! If you want to string the Tootsie Rolls lengthwise its more of an adult project and you will need a long large needle. However, a child should be able to string through the center of tootsie rolls with a smaller needle!

 Success with gum balls! She did it all by herself! 

Once you are done double knot the floss together and make sure you have about an inch excess floss after the bracelet is tied!

No matter what candy you choose, you will have to make a tassel for your bracelet! I chose a heart shape because these are for Valentines day but you can really do this in any shape you want! Cut these shapes out of nice scrapbook paper. Make one a little larger than the other. Your smaller shape will be where you write your saying so make sure its large enough that you have enough space to write on it. 

 Next, dab a little hot glue in between the two sheets of paper right on top of your excess floss.

Press you smaller shape on top of the hot glue!

   

 Cut off the extra floss that is hanging out of the bottom from between the paper shapes after the hot glue drys!

Then write your cute saying on the smaller shape.

 This next step is optional! I sealed my heart tassels with sparkle Mod Podge!

 Paint your Mod Podge on the tassels and let them dry. Be careful not to touch the candy when painting!

  

While you are waiting for your Mod Podge to dry, you can make envelopes for your bracelets! You have to put these bracelets in something if you are going to hand them out to people because no one wants to eat candy that has been all over the place!!! Unless you are using candy with the wrapper still on, like Tootsie Rolls! 

I wanted to have a somewhat see-through envelope so I used vellum paper. Check out the cute, do it yourself, Heart envelope idea I found on Forty Weeks and Then Some. It's so simple and a lot cheaper than buying a bunch of envelopes! 

   

 I love the glittery seal the Mod Podge gives the Heart tassel!

I thought I would give you a few more ideas for your candy bracelet saying.

• GUM BALLS~ "I CHEWS you" or "You BLOW me away"
• TOOTSIE ROLLS~ "I like the way you ROLL" or "ROLL with me toots"
• JELLY BEANS~ "BEAN mine" or "Thanks for BEAN my friend"

One idea I though of after doing this project with my kids was to make a bracelet out of any kind of gummies! Your child should be able to string their own because gummies don't have a hard shell around them like jelly beans and gum balls have! 

• GUMMIES~ "GUMMY a hug"

 Happy Valentines Day!