DLTK's Holiday Crafts for Kids
Tri Bead Napkin Rings

photo shows
two napkin rings

Wow!  Did the girls (Gr. 3 and Kindergarten) ever have fun with this project.

The napkin rings come out with a very 'professional' look that any mom or grandma would be proud to display on her table.  They're one of those great crafts that crafters from Age 4 to 94 would enjoy making.

Choose colors that match the recipient's kitchen.

Give as a stand alone gift or include some new store bought napkins.

Materials for napkin rings:

• needle nose pliers and wire cutter (usually needle nose pliers have a wire cutter as part of them)
• package of bracelet memory wire.  (1 package typically has 15 coils in it, 15 coils makes twelve or thirteen napkin rings)
• about 50 tri beads per napkin ring
  • we did most of our rings in 2 colors (25 of each color per ring) but you could use 3 or 4 colors depending on your preferences.
• NOTE:  you could substitute elastic string or pipecleaners for the memory wire, but you won't end up with as permanent a gift (the memory wire napkin rings last forever...  They don't bend or fray like the elastic or pipecleaner would)

Instructions:

• ADULT:  Memory wire looks like a slinky and it holds its shape very well (thus the name).  Clip off a little more than one coil of the wire.
• ADULT:  use needle nose pliers to bend one end of the coil over almost as tight as you can (I could never do it quite tightly enough and my husband always did it a little too tight).  Basically you want the hook big enough that the beads won't fall off the end.
• Thread the beads onto the memory wire in a pattern until you have about 3/4 of an inch of wire left sticking out.
• ADULT: use needle nose pliers to bend the other end of the coil over (just like you did the first end).
• I think either 4 or 6 napkin rings is a good amount to give as a gift (depending on how many place settings the recipient usually has).

Printable version of these instructions