Old wrinkled potatoes sprout gem of an idea

I have a favorite snazzy bracelet I wear often, made with beads in bright primary colors. People are always asking where I got it, so I happily reply: “My kids made it! Out of old potatoes!”

Surely you have a potato or two in your house. Are they soft, wrinkled and maybe even sprouted a bit? Well, don’t throw them out! They’re gems.

Get your kids going now to craft the most unusual jewelry – made from potatoes.

Here’s How

•Your school-age child should use a peeler to remove the skin from one large potato, which will be enough for one necklace. Cut it into 1/2 inch chunks, and poke them onto a couple of wooden skewers. You’ll want to help your younger kids so that they don’t poke themselves. Also, do make sure the chunks are well-spaced so that there’s room to paint them eventually on all sides while still skewered. Poke skewers standing into a florist-foam brick.

•After about 24 hours, these little spud chunks are going to turn a funny gray-black color, which is fine. Twist them on the skewer once in a while as they dry and become beads with holes through the center. They’ll be rock-hard in about a week if you keep them in a cool, dry place.

•During this time, check online or take a book out of the library on the subject of stones and gems. Suggest to your children that they pick a stone they’d most like to create. I like turquoise, so that’s what I’ll describe here.

•Spread out newspaper. Hold the bottom of each skewer like a handle, dip a foam brush into turquoise-colored acrylic paint and paint the beads. There are so many little nooks and crannies on the chunk that it actually will resemble a stone. Let dry.

•Remove from the skewer and string the beads on ribbon or elastic. To fashion an interesting pattern, alternate with smaller silver beads from a craft store or even another old necklace. When you’re done, you’ll have a beautiful faux-turquoise necklace that can fool anyone!

•Creative Tip: Instead of making potato beads, slice potatoes in chips the size of a quarter. Let them dry and harden flat. It’s OK if they curve a bit as they dry. Paint them in your favorite colors with acrylic paints, dry and glue onto a frame for an eye-catching look.