How to Make Paper Beads Tutorial

There are a million uses for old newspapers and magazines. You can always toss them out or recycle them, but why not upcycle them? Learning how to make paper beads took a bit of trial and error, so I am here to help you from making my mistakes! Just follow my guide to making hand made paper beads.

Here is what you will need:

• News paper or magazine
• Ruler
• Pencil (you can use a pen, but it tends to bleed when the beads are sealed)
• A stick to wrap the beads around. I used a kabob stick, but you could use a thick piece of wire, a sewing pin wrapped with a bit of tape (you will want the hole of the bead to be bigger than a pin) or what every you have lying around.
• Sealant-You can use clear nail polish, Modpodge or white glue (although that will get a bit messy)

Choose a measurement for your bead's length. I chose a little over half an inch. This measurement controls the length of the bead from the opening on one end to the opening on the other. The actual measurement is not terribly important, but it will affect the shape and size of your bead.

After you mark the length of the bead, place your ruler lengthwise across the paper. You want to angle the ruler so that one end meets the edge of the paper. The longer the paper strip is the fatter the bead will be. I use half the length of a local newspaper. Experiment and see what shapes and sizes of beads you like.

Mark with your pencil, and then cut. Angle to ruler in the opposite direction to mark and cut the next strip. Keep marking and cutting until you have one strip for each bead you want to make!

Now that you have all of your strips, it is time to wrap! This can be a little tricky, but a little bit of practice helps. Place the widest end of the paper strip on your stick and hold it in place while you slowly wrap the "tail" around..and around. Once you reach the end of the strip, use a touch of glue to hold the last wrap in place. Make sure to wrap the beads tight so they don't unravel.

Now that you have your beads wrapped, apply a thin layer of sealant and let them dry. Your beads may require two coats of sealant, just check after the first coat. After the beads are dry, your beads are finished.

Here is a few tips and ideas for making different kinds and shapes of beads .

• The wider the paper strip, the longer the bead will be
• The longer the paper strip, the fatter your bead will be
• For glossy and colorful beads, use magazines instead of newspaper.

There are plenty of uses for paper beads! I use them to make earrings and other jewelry, but here is a few more ideas

• glue your beads to a mirror or picture frame.
• string them up to make a garland or beaded curtain.
• sew them on to table runners, curtains or table cloths. If you do attach them to washable fabrics, be sure they are well sealed.
• If you make large beads, you could paint a design on each bead and display your art in a pretty bowl.

Have fun making paper beads and let me know if you have any questions.