For Trevor's Teacher

Trevor's first grade year was wonderful, thanks in large part to his fantastic teacher, Mrs. Forbes. Trevor and I wanted to make her a homemade gift that would be meaningful and personal. I asked him what he thought about making a beaded bracelet like I'd done when I took a beading class as one of my 40 Things. He loved the idea, so we headed to the fabulous Beads on Main.

I had Trevor do a little reconnaissance work ahead of time. He learned that Mrs. Forbes' favorite color is red and observed that her wedding ring is gold. So we knew we'd be using those colors. When we got to the store, we went straight to the red beads and checked out the hundreds of choices. Trevor chose a smooth, round red bead. We bagged up a bunch of those and then looked around to find a complement. He found a faceted smaller black bead that he really liked. I wasn't sure how a smooth and a faceted would look together, but he was adamant. We went to the gold beads.  He selected tiny gold beads with some texture and detail. The whole process took about 15 minutes, including time viewing all the other colors in the store. We sat down at the work table and he started laying out his pattern.    

 

Next, he started stringing the beads.

The people at Beads on Main are absolutely wonderful. Trevor got one-on-one instruction as he worked. He was able to do the whole bracelet by himself with no help except directions.

 

Trevor was so incredibly proud of the bracelet he made.

 

Here's a closer look.

Since it is a gift, I'm reluctant to mention the cost, but it's so unbelievable that I have to. It cost exactly $6.35 to make this bracelet. I was prepared to pay at least triple that for Trevor to make a beautiful and meaningful gift.  Thank you to Beads on Main for your wonderful store and all your help. Trevor has already decided he'll be making beaded jewelry as Christmas gifts, so we'll be back soon!