Paper Beads

Previously posted on Blogger 19/05/26

As alluded to in my last post I have been making paper beads. I should say again as I made hundreds of them a few years ago, I filled a good half dozen of those 36 compartment bead boxes. I tend to go all in when I start something and then drop it and not even look at it again for ages.

Above: B&Q leaflet used width-ways, 6 strips glued together.

I’d been using some of my older beads to make jewellery when I got the urge to start making them again. Fortunately I still had a stack of old magazine pages from my previous endeavours.

Above: This was a recipe involving king prawns.

They are ridiculously easy to make and it is so relaxing just sitting rolling strips of paper up. I like that you have no idea how they are going to come out until they are finished. I like to give mine a couple of coats of glaze (I use Diamond Glaze) and it completely changes the look of them when they’ve got a gloss coating on.

I started taking a photograph of the page before it’s cut up and the finished beads bear no resemblance to the original paper at all. I don’t think I’ve ever been disappointed in the end results, well not yet anyway.

These are mostly magazine pages though there is one set made from a DIY store leaflet and another made from hair dye instructions. The tools I use for rolling are just bamboo cocktail sticks with the pointy ends cut off and a little slit cut into them to hold the end of the paper. It’s a properly cheap set up but the results don’t look cheap and I think you’d be hard pressed to tell that they are made from old magazine pages.

Above: Advert for hair dye.

Above: Hair dye instructions.

I don't know about you but I am fascinated with the way the beads come out when compared with the original page.