To bead or not to bead

I had been playing around with the idea of making some paper beads for Christmas this year but was having a hard time making any concrete plans. 

All my ideas seemed too juvenile, too "crafty", and too boring.  And that was just the beads themselves.  I also couldn't imagine a way to string the beads without the result looking like a third grader had put it together.

So you can imagine my OMG moment when I stumbled upon these beads in my little sister's room.  She's been working on them for a while and has made some really interesting jewellery with her beads.

As an older sibling, this whole thing is really kind of annoying.  However, I've had to choke back the sibling rivalry because these are just too simple and beautiful not to share.

The beads you see in the photos, and the photos themselves are all Mary's (except bottom three photos, which are mine).  I simply wrote out the instructions.  

(Also, isn't the purple desk the best thing ever?  I started out with it and I think all 3 of my sisters have also owned it at one time or another.  The multi-coloured top is the result of years and years of crafting, and makeup/nail polish applications.)

Pick out some paper.  Mary uses ads and photos from glossy magazines.  It's best to choose photos like these that have a lot of colour and texture.

Trace your template onto the paper.  Using a template helps ensure that your beads are the same shape and colour. If that doesn't concern you don't bother using a template.  Mary is using a triangle, but you could use any shape.  The shape of the template will change the shape of the resulting bead.

Even if you aren't planning on making the beads right away, start collecting pieces of paper you can use to make the beads.

Put a small amount of glue on the skinny tip of the shape (on the non-coloured side).  Hold the large end of the cut-out onto a bamboo skewer and roll the paper slowly onto the skewer making sure that you pull the paper taut as you go.  Make sure that the glue placed at the end holds the tip down, so the bead doesn't unravel. 

Let the bead dry and continue on with any others you're making.

Generally this project is done with some sort of craft paste, but nail varnish is just as good and often more readily available in the average household.  If you have old varnish that's getting a bit tacky this project is a good way of using it.  Because the beads can be left for several hours without being touched you don't have to worry about it smudging (unlike your nails).

Leave the beads on the skewer during this process.  Place the skewer across a bowl or dish while the beads are drying so that they don't touch the table.

Admire your awesome work. Mary made these in a huge variety of colours, which I think works really really well.

Seriously, aren't these gorgeous?  I would say I'm proud of her except she would roll her eyes and say "Jeeeaaan".  In the second photo you can see how Mary cut the beads once they were dry and assembled them into a bracelet along with some beads.  The first is a work in progress that is definitely my personal favourite. It's a unique way of stringing beads to highlight the colours and textures!

Enjoy this project!

Posted by: Jean with a little help from Mary Ketterling.