How to Make a Teether Necklace at Home

Keep a soothing teether tied around your neck for your baby's sore gums.

Teething can turn a usually happy, easy-going baby into a fussy, difficult-to-sooth, drooling mess making days spent at home difficult with the right tools to soothe her achy gums. Aside from numbing creams and small doses of children's pain killers, the best relief for those aching gums is something to munch on, which you may prefer over any type of medication. Use your creative talent and basic sewing skills to make a convenient teether necklace for your fussy infant that will always be on hand no matter where you go.

Things You'll Need

• 1/8 yard cotton fabric
• Iron
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Sewing machine
• 10 1/2-inch wooden beads
• 3/4-inch-wide grosgrain ribbon
• Lighter

Instructions

1. Machine wash and dry your fabric using the same detergent you use to wash your baby's clothing. Because he will be chewing on the necklace made with the fabric, it is important to wash it with a detergent you know he isn't allergic to.

2. Iron the fabric and cut one 2 1/2-inch-wide strip length-wise from it.

3. Fold the fabric strip in half length-wise with the wrong side of the fabric facing out. Sew the long edges opposite the folded edge together with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Sew over the seam three times. The necklace will contain small wooden beads that are an obvious choking hazard should they ever come out of the fabric, so be sure to reinforce all the seams.

4. Turn the fabric tube right side out through one of the open ends. Tie a knot in the center of the tube. Put a bead in each end of the tube. Maneuver the beads so one sits on each side of the center knot. Knot the tube again on the outside of each bead to hold it in place. Continue adding beads and knotting the tube until all 10 beads are contained in the fabric.

5. Sew across the fabric tube three times after the last knot on each side. This ensures that the beads don't get out of the fabric even if the knots come undone.

6. Fold the raw edges of the fabric in 1/2 inch at each end of the tube. Iron the folds. Cut two 12-inch-long pieces of 3/4-inch grosgrain ribbon. Insert one end of each ribbon 1/2 inch in one end of the tube. Sew over the end of the tube with an 1/8-inch seam allowance to trap each piece of ribbon in its respective tube end. Sew over the seam three times.

7. Trim the other end of each piece of ribbon at a 45-degree angle, and hold it near the flame of a lighter for 2 seconds. The heat from the flame will melt the ribbon just enough to keep it from fraying in the future. Use the ribbon to tie the necklace around your neck.