A friend recently showed up at a gathering wearing a gorgeous amber bead necklace which was admired by all. I thought the beautiful thing was from some expensive amber-selling jewelry store, but it was made from Native American corn! “I have other corn necklaces at home,” she told me. “One looks just like garnet and another like carnelian. And they‘re unbelievably easy to make.”

Find out how to make your own necklaces from nature’s colorful–and inexpensive–jewels. Children adore this project, too!

1. Find a few ears of beautifully-colored dried Native American corn at your favorite market or roadside stand.

2. Break the ears in half and use both hands to twist the kernels off the cob into a bowl.

3. Cover kernels with boiling water and allow them to soak for at least one hour.

4. Using a sturdy needle and thread or dental floss, string the kernels one at a time into a necklace, being sure to make it long enough to fit over your head. You can use “beads” of all one color, or vary them in a pattern if you like.

5. Knot the two ends together. Allow the kernels to dry before wearing.

For more fun nature-honoring craft ideas, see Celebrating the Great Mother by Cait Johnson and Maura D. Shaw.