My ten-year-old daughter came up with this idea! I drink tea all day long, so, as a gift for me for Christmas, she invented paperclip earrings to hold tea bags. I could simply wear my favorite teas as accessories and – when ready for a cup – hang the hook earring, with tea bag attached, over the side of a cup of hot water. But all of a sudden, I had a pair of earrings that could hold not only tea bags, but any message or image I wanted (and they are completely light-weight). We made a bunch of pairs and I wear mine regularly, swapping out the designs depending on my mood.
Supplies:
Earring hooks
Paperclips
A few sequins, rhinestones, craft feathers (fun but not essential)
Clear packing tape (an easy form of lamination)
Scissors
Any fun images drawn on paper, cut out of magazines or printed from the computer
Ages: 6+
Time: 30 minutes
Project Steps:
Loop a paperclip through the little circle at the end of the earring hook. Add sequins for a bit of pizzazz. Create your designs by coloring, printing, and clipping images. Then use the clear packing tape to “laminate” them: cut around the edges of your images, tape completely on both sides, and cut out the pieces leaving a small border of tape all around the edges. Now you have a collection of colorful images and messages to clip into your earrings. We also rummaged around and found some other light-weight odds and ends to hang from our earrings – a plastic whistle and a mini watercolor set from a party good bag. You can make them for yourself, swap designs with a friend, or give them as a gift.
Curious Jane, founded by contributor Samantha Razook Murphy, offers project-based after-school programs and summer camps, revolving around creativity in the arts and sciences.