Emma Rabbit wanted to make extra special valentines for all her friends. She decided to make "friendship necklaces." Oliver Mouse was interested in helping too, because he loves all Valentine's Day festivities. Here is how they did it. 

For each necklace, they picked some colors of thread that they thought their friend would like. For example, they picked candy colors for Flora because she loves candy. 

They picked grayish colors for Jeremy because gray is his favorite color. 

And they picked plant and flower colors for Reginald, to remind him of his garden even though it was the winter. 

They picked 6 threads for each necklace. Sometimes they used two threads of the same color. Then Oliver gasped. "Emma! How will we ever know how long to make the threads?" 

But Emma knew the answer to that. "Don't worry Ollie, that's easy peasy! However long we want the necklace to be, we should cut the threads four times that size."

They figured out that a necklace 6 inches long would probably fit their friends. 

Then they did math. Emma said, "6 times 4 is.... 6+6+6+6..... 24!!!!!" Oliver tried it too and got the same answer, so they decided it was probably right.

So they cut the threads 24 inches long, which is taller than them, it turns out.

The friends put six pieces of thread together, folded all the threads in half, and tied a knot.

Then they attached the end of their project to something steady. Oliver figured out he could tie it to his shoelace. Emma tied it to a table leg. Both of those were okay. But then they found a handy hook on the wall, which Oliver said was "just splendid for the task at hand". 

They split the threads into three sections, with combinations of thread they thought looked pretty. 

And they started to braid the three sections together. It turned out Oliver was "a little rusty" on his braiding skills, so Emma showed him how. You, too, can learn how to braid here.

While Oliver was practicing his braids, Emma took it to the next level. She strung some beads onto the strings.

And every once in a while as she worked on the braid, she would push one of the beads up to the top and braid the threads around it. 

Emma said that her sister Penelope loves beads more than anything in the world, so she would love this Valentine's necklace with beads. 

When the braided necklace was long enough, Emma tied a knot.

For Flora's necklace, Emma and Oliver braided the bottom into two mini braids, so the necklace would be easier to tie.

Emma and Oliver made braided necklaces for all the Hazel Village friends, of course, because that is the nice thing to do. Here they are with some of the first ones they made. They wrote their friends' names on little tags.

These necklaces are all ready to put in the Valentine's Box. Oliver will deliver them on the big day!

Did you make this craft at home? Send us a photo or tag us on social media @hazelvillage!