Girls' jewelry spans a wide range of styles and costs. When it comes to summer camp, it is best to leave jewelry at home (except for, perhaps, a simple watch or fitness tracker) and encourage your daughter to wear the crafty jewelry she makes at camp, instead.
Focus on the Essentials First
You want your daughter to be comfortable. If she likes to get dressed up and wear jewelry, it may be a good idea to have an honest conversation with her about camp clothes to adjust expectations. Rather than getting sidetracked by the jewelry and accessories she probably should not bring to camp, have her check outsummer camp clothing essentials from Yellowberry and include them on her summer camp clothes checklist.
Yellowberry’s loungewear collection includes stylish Downtown Hoodies and Uptown Joggers that are sure to get your daughter excited about camp. Remind her that there will likely be plenty of arts and crafts activities where she can make fun jewelry that will remind her of all the great times she had at camp.
What Type of Jewelry Do You Make at Summer Camp
The types of jewelry she can make at summer camp are only limited by her imagination. Here are some of the pieces you might see come back with her:
Friendship Bracelets
These classic favorites are a form of embroidery usually done with thread or embroidery floss. They are exchanged as a symbol of friendship, and it’s not usual for a girl to acquire an assortment of colorful friendship bracelets at summer camp that she can proudly display on her arms. They will perfectly complement her summer camp layering clothes, too.
If your daughter is a pro at macramé and crafting–and comfortable using a sewing needle–she may be ready to try needle tatting. This is a crafting technique used to create earrings, necklaces, or other intricate, lace-like pieces of camp jewelry.
Beads, Beads, and More Beads
Beads of all colors and patterns can be laced, wound, and combined into all kinds of shapes and adornments. They are commonly used to make earrings and necklaces. More intricate beaded bracelets can be held still and assembled on a homemade cardboard box loom, which is also a wonderful introduction to this form of fabric art.
Trinkets can be interspersed within the beads for a summer camp version of a charm bracelet. Beads can also be threaded through safety pins that are then lined up and secured together over a band to make a funky bracelet.
Lettered beads let the camper create personalized messages for themselves and others.
Sustainable Camp Jewelry
If conservation and sustainability are components of the summer camp, jewelry can be constructed with cut pieces of plastic, old toothbrushes, and other unexpected items.
For example, wide popsicle sticks or tongue depressors can be moistened, heated, and reshaped into cuff-style bracelets. These can then be adorned with drawings, glitter, and other creative elements.
Metallic belts and bracelets can be created from the tabs pulled from the tops of soda cans and woven together with colorful yarn. The inside of metal caps popped off of glass bottles can be decorated and used to make fun and memorable buttons and pins.
Last Thoughts About Jewelry at Summer Camp
Summer camp is a great time for your daughter to let go and have tons of fun. You don’t want her worrying about ruining or losing a piece of jewelry she’s wearing, or to come home upset because she doesn’t know what happened to the jewelry she was wearing when she left the house. Let her focus on what she can create while she’s there!