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!
8 Comments
Melba
Cute! Did u use a green acorn or a dried one (brown)? I’m guessing dried.
May be the exact thing I need to finish off my Hidden Meanings Fall Wall Hanging! Wanted to add acorns to it, but the fake ones cost WAY too much! And i just can’t get the paper ones to “fit”. Wanted to glue acorns to the raffia bow and have them hang down. “My kids” at church will be making these – so will need about 90! Might be too big of a project to do!!! Don’t know if we’d have time to paint them, and I’m not looking forward to cleaning out 90 acorns! Anyone wanna help? See my prto-type on Facebook on the Oriental Trading or Hobby Lobby page.
Shara
You wouldn’t have to clean them all out – just put them in the freezer overnight to kill the worms that are in there. You may not see any worms, but they are in there and they will come out. Voice of experience here…….:(
The necklace is very cute!
Corinne Munger
SO Adorable! Acorns are close to impossible to find in my neck of the woods though (Colorado). We grow mostly pine and aspen here – I’ll have to put the word out to see if someone can find me one. I think I HAVE to do this! I just love acorns!!! Thanks so much for sharing.
Bek
Wow, what a great idea! I have some acorns from the Friendship Oak in Mississippi… this would be a fun Christmas gift for my roommates. :) I didn’t realize they can host insects, so thanks for the tips!