Paper Beads

Paper beads are a fun project to take up with your kids as they will enjoy making different jewelry out of them. Different types of papers, with a variety of textures can be used for making paper beads. There are thousands of bead patterns that you can choose from but you can get the best results from a more thin paper as it curls more easily.

How to Make Handmade Paper Beads

Material Required

• Gift wrap paper
• Paper cutter
• Glue
• Toothpicks
• Glitter powder

Method

With the help of a paper cutter, cut the gift wrapping paper into 1 inch width strips. If you do not have any gift wrapping paper, you can also use the glossy pages out of an old magazine, just make sure that the paper is not too thick or you will have trouble in making the beads. The strips can be about 8 to 10 inches in length. Now apply glue on the plain side of the paper strips, leaving the end of the strip glue less. Start coiling the strip of paper on the toothpick from one end and keep rolling until you have rolled it to the end. When you reach the end of the strip of paper, apply some more glue and stick the paper on the bead. To give a consistent shape to the paper bead, roll it in between your fingers and the table top. Allow the beads to dry for some hours and when they are completely dry, carefully slide the toothpick out of the paper bead without disturbing its shape. Now apply a bit of glue that has been thinned with water with the help of a painting brush. When it is semi dry roll the bead in a bit of glitter powder to make it more decorative. Make some more beads in the same way and string them together to make a cute bracelet or a necklace.

How to Make Paper Beads from Newspaper

Material Required

• Few sheets of old newspaper
• Water
• Strong glue
• Sandpaper
• Acrylic paint
• Varnish
• Ribbon

Method

First rip the old newspaper into small pieces until you have a large pile of it. Place the ripped newspaper in a large pot and pour boiling water over it so that the newspaper is fully covered. Allow it to sit for an hour and stir it continuously after every 15 minutes. After an hour, drain out the excess water from the pot and add around half a cup of glue, so that the paper now resembles the texture of mashed potatoes. Now roll this mixture in your hands to make small beads and let them dry in the sunlight for 2 to 3 days. When the beads are completely dry sand it down with sandpaper to smooth out any rough edges. Drill a hole in the paper beads and paint them with acrylic colors. After the color of the beads have dried, give them a coat of varnish so that they last a long time. String a colorful ribbon through the beads to make a unique, one of a kind necklace.

There are endless variations in making paper beads and I am sure that you will enjoy making them and gifting them to your friends. Enjoy!