Friendship Pencils

What You Need:

• Pencil
• Embroidery floss
• Beads or charms
• Craft foam
• Permanent marker
• Scissors

What You Do:

1. Help your child measure 1-3 pieces of embroidery floss per pencil and cut each strand to 18" long.
2. Show your child how to tie the floss around the top of the pencil, just under the eraser. Leave a tail about 5" long on one side.
3. Have your child take the longer end of the floss strand and wrap around the body of the pencil. If using more than one strand, line the strands up evenly next to one another and then wrap the pencil. The colors will alternate and create a cute pattern.
4. Finish the friendship pencil by tying a double knot about halfway down the pencil and use scissors to trim off the remainder, creating a clean edge.
5. Add beads, a charm or braid multiple strands on the tail. Teens might also enjoy cutting shapes out of craft foam and using a permanent marker to write sayings like "Best Friends" or "BFF" and tying the shape onto the tail.
6. Snip any extra embroidery floss from the end of the tail and tie a knot to finish.

Did you know: Most of the pencils in the United States come with an eraser, but they often don't in Europe.