Jewelry making is another arts and crafts outlet for the girls at Rockbrook. Held on the porch of the historic hillside stone lodge, campers use wire, colorful string and yarns, plus beads and other sparkly ornaments to make necklaces, bracelets, and fun earrings. Like so many of the arts activities at Rockbrook, Jewelry Making is a wonderful blend of tradition and creativity, community and self expression.
The Craft of Jewelry Making
The materials we use to make jewelry at camp are simple and colorful. Fiber strings, yards and other cords, plus metal wires form the structure of most jewelry projects.
Different colors combine in different patterns to build custom bands. Plus a mind-boggling variety of beads can be added to any project— beads of glass, plastic, ceramic, metal, and wood.
Girls are immediately creative by choosing beads and string to make begin their pieces.
Techniques and Patterns
Tying simple knots into colorful strands is the core technique of friendship bracelet making. These knots are repeated, and then altered in a pattern to create even more complex designs.
Start with a single “Tow-Tie” or the “Reverse Chevron,” and soon you’ll be combining knots, adding beads and making a truly unique work of art.
The creative possibilities are almost endless!
Friendship and Community
The jewelry making craft activity at Rockbrook is another opportunity for personal expression and making friends. After all, most of the projects you make, you’re bound to give away to friend. You might surprise some at camp with the gift of a handmade bracelet.
These jewelry projects symbolize friendship and personal memories of the bonds made at camp. In the kind of friendly community defined at Rockbrook, most everyone has their wrists covered with colorful jewelry gifts from friends.
“I like your bracelet! Who made it for you?”
Jewelry making is more than just a craft activity. It’s a tradition that encourages girls’ creativity while also helping them strengthen their camp friendships. It allows everyone to make something, feel a sense of creative accomplishment, and express their kind, caring, and generous Rockbrook sprit.
