How to Make Taylor Swift Valentines

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Choose your beads & prepare your elastic

   My daughter wanted to use beads specifically themed to Taylor Swift albums, but you can choose any combination of colors and shapes you like.
   
   Cut your elastic cord to length, leaving plenty of extra at the ends for easy tying. We always tape down one end of the cord onto a tray to help reduce beads accidentally slipping off.
   
   

2. Bead your bracelet

   Get comfortable, turn up the music, and bead away!
   My daughter wants to make a bracelet for everyone in her class, so we’ve been working on making 1 or 2 a day for the past few weeks.
   
   We keep all of our supplies contained on a tray so it’s easy to pull back out whenever we have a few minutes. Pro tip: a pair of tweezers makes hunting for the perfect bead much easier!
   
   (Lots of leftover beads? Try an activity like this! Or this!)

3. Secure the ends

   After threading all the beads, check the length. I use my daughter’s wrist as a basic guide, ensuring that there are enough beads to go all the way around. Since kids come in all sizes, we make sure we have some bracelets larger, and some that are smaller.
   
   Secure with a triple knot, wrapping one end three times through. As you tie the knot gently stretch the cord to make it as secure as possible. Add a small dot of glue at the knot, let dry, then carefully trim any excess elastic.
   
   

4. Assemble your Valentines

   Print out your copy of our Taylor Swift Valentines on sturdy paper, then cut out and let your child sign their name. (Or your own name…. let’s make adult friendship Valentines a thing!)
   
   Slip a bracelet over each valentine before gifting to a lucky friend!