The weather here in Michigan has been perfect for hiking lately, so the hubby and I have been getting out to enjoy it as much as possible.  The other day we took a trek to one of our favorite places, the peak of a sand dune topped with windswept trees.  Many of the trees are oak trees, and the sand is littered with perfect, plump acorns.  I couldn’t resist bringing one home to turn into a necklace!

Project estimate:

  • Acorn, free
  • Acrylic paint, on hand or $1 and up
  • Glue, on hand
  • Jump ring, on hand
  • Chain, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  Free and up

Start by cleaning up your acorn.  Wash off  any dirt on the outside.  If your acorn has been hollowed out by an insect (look for a small, round hole in the acorn), you will also want to finish cleaning out the inside.  Carefully pop the cap off of the acorn and you will see a circle at the top of the nut.  Carefully open the acorn by removing this circular portion, then use something pointy like the tip of a pair of scissors to scrap out the inside.

Once your acorn is clean, give it a paint job!  I used a few coats of  metallic copper craft paint to make mine nice and shiny.  After the glue dries, glue the two parts of the acorn back together.  Glue a jump ring to the acorn cap so that it is nested in the crook between the cap and the stem.  Gluing it to both surfaces will give it  maximum stability.

When the glue is dry, thread a chain through the jump ring and your acorn necklace is ready to wear!