Bear Claw Necklace

1
Bear Claw Necklace
(an art project based on Native American Indian
jewelry design)
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JEWELRY MAKING
Iroquois jewelry was made of natural objects such
as shells, animal teeth or claws, and stone.
With the coming of the Europeans, new items and
materials were introduced. Glass beads, silver,
and brass items became popular for use in making
jewelry.
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Materials Needed Beads String or Leather
thongs Clay (air drying)
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Roll clay into a log shape about 1 ½ inches long.
5
Work the log so that it tapers off at one end but
remains thicker at the other end.
6
Bend the log to simulate the curve of a bear claw.
7
Make a hole in the thicker end for threading.
(Helpful Hint I embedded a bead into the
thicker, top part of the claw to make it
sturdier and easier to thread.)
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Stringing the Necklace
Choose a pattern for stringing your necklace.
Some necklaces may have only one bear claw in the
center. Others may have all bear claws.
Alternating claws with one or more beads creates
another interesting design.