Secret Message Glitter Heart Necklaces (with Video)
A fun Valentine’s craft for kids, this Secret Message Glitter Necklace is a homemade locket that kids can hide special notes or drawings in and give to friends as a homemade valentine.
DIY Locket Necklace Craft
Every year, Ella and I make homemade valentines for her friends and classmates. It’s a small tradition perfect for a cozy day in on a cold, wet Spring day.
While it may seem crazy that she made nearly 30 of these cute little foam necklaces, they are just so simple, cheap and quick to make that it probably took us just over an hour to make all of them AND write little secret messages to stick in each locket.
(It would take even less time if you use pre-glittered foam hearts or skip the glitter altogether.)
These foam lockets came about by accident – we just pulled out a whole bunch of craft supplies and started experimenting.
Ella wanted to make foam lockets, but we found that a bit tricky to get right (opening them like a book puts pressure on the glue and makes them more likely to fall apart) and I thought it’d be a little weird to give all her classmates a homemade locket with her picture in it.
The resulting secret message necklace is a perfect example of why I love crafting with my daughter – not only did she make something beautiful that she’s proud of, she came up with the idea through creative problem solving and flexible thought, AND she had a tangible experience of the benefits of making vs consuming, something that I always try to encourage.
So, if you set out to make this craft and your kids start experimenting or not following the directions, I think that’s great! Or, if they love this craft and follow it to the letter, that’s awesome, too. The important thing is to have fun with creativity.
You could make these lockets with even bigger foam hearts to form heart-shaped purses big enough for ALL of your kids’ valentines, or just a special note.
If you want to package these homemade heart necklaces up, you can use our homemade paper box template or make your own envelopes and write the recipient’s names on them. (Personally, I am loving my friend Menucha’s paper heart-shaped boxes that you can simply print and fold!)
Ella loved making and gifting these simple Valentine’s Day necklaces to her classmates, and writing secret messages for them to unexpectedly discover! It was so fun picking her up at school at the end of the day and seeing so many of her classmates wearing the necklaces she made for them.
Check out our quick video to see just how easy it is to make these homemade secret message necklaces, and then don’t forget to scroll down to grab the free printable directions!
Materials for Valentine’s Jewelry Craft
- Foam hearts
- Glitter
- Ribbons or spool of necklace chain
- Craft glue
- Craft jewels
- Small tray to contain glitter (we used the lid from a can of Panko bread crumbs, but you can use a juice lid, Pringles lid, jar lid, etc)
Tip: this craft is incredibly flexible – you can use ribbons or chains for the necklace, you can use pre-cut out hearts or cut out your own shapes. They don’t even need to be hearts!
I highly recommend grabbing a couple of these sturdy plastic lunch trays (we have one in the pictures in this post). I use these for almost all of our craft or kitchen activities, as well as in our Montessori practical life activities. Ours have lasted for over 6 years and are still going strong, plus they are so great for containing messes and allowing the kids to set a project to the side while it dries (or if you have to clear off the table for supper).
How to Make Secret Message Necklaces
Start off by decorating your hearts.
Use craft glue to attach glitter, jewels, or any embellishments you desire.
(If using glitter, place the heart in a small lid or container to contain the mess. Shake off the excess glitter into the container and re-use.)
Allow the glue to dry before attaching the “necklace chain.”
Cut ribbon or a length of chain to size – you want this to easily slide over a child’s head so it should fall around mid-chest. (Have your child figure out the measurement length once and then use a ruler or measuring tape to cut out additional ribbon – a great opportunity to practice math skills!)
Attach the ribbon or chain to the back of the decorated heart with glue.
Glue along the sides and bottom of the back of the heart – avoid gluing the middle or top of the heart.
Take a plain heart and press it against the back of the decorated heart, creating a “heart sandwich” with the chain in the middle.
Allow to dry before inserting a secret message on a small scrap of paper.
Pin this Super Simple Valentine’s Day Craft for Kids:
Grab your free printable instructions for our Valentine’s Day necklace craft:
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Secret Message Glitter Heart Necklaces
A super simple Valentine's Day necklace kids can make and hide secret messages in. A fun craft for Valentine's Day or Mother's Day, or a special best friend craft.
Materials
- Foam hearts
- Glitter
- Ribbons or spool of necklace chain
- Craft glue
- Craft jewels
- Small tray to contain glitter (we used the lid from a can of Panko bread crumbs, but you can use a juice lid, Pringles lid, jar lid, etc)
Instructions
- Start off by decorating your hearts.
- Use craft glue to attach glitter, jewels, or any embellishments you desire.
- (If using glitter, place the heart in a small lid or container to contain the mess. Shake off the excess glitter into the container and re-use.
- Allow the glue to dry before attaching the "necklace chain."
- Cut ribbon or a length of chain to size - you want this to easily slide over a child's head so it should fall around mid-chest. (Have your child figure out the measurement length once and then use a ruler or measuring tape to cut out additional ribbon - a great opportunity to practice math skills!)
- Attach the ribbon or chain to the back of the decorated heart with glue
- Glue along the sides and bottom of the back of the heart - avoid gluing the middle or top of the heart.
- Take a plain heart and press it against the back of the decorated heart, creating a "heart sandwich" with the chain in the middle.
- Allow to dry before inserting a secret message on a small scrap of paper.
Notes
Tip: this craft is incredibly flexible - you can use ribbons or chains for the necklace, you can use pre-cut out hearts or cut out your own shapes. They don't even need to be hearts!
Recommended Products
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Foamies® 300 Piece Value Pack Shapes - Hearts
I hope your kids love making and gifting these secret message necklaces as much as Ella did!
For more fun Valentine’s Day crafts kids can make, check out:
