Fun with paper beads:
Ideas and Designs
How to make paper beads
Hints, tips and tricks
Because you know that your craft project can only be as interesting as the materials you use.
Paper beads are not just for stringing!
There's a whole lot more you can do with your digital design papers and the paper beads that
you make with them than string them into necklaces or earrings.
Your own pen!
Roll a large cigar-shaped bead onto a plastic straw. After the dipping process, you'll have a hole big enough to put a ball point pen refill inside and have a unique custom-designed pen. Make your cap out of part of the bead or just coil some wire to protect the pen's ball point from accidentally writing. Most ball points (as opposed to gel points) do not need a tight cap & can work well for months, even years without a problem with a loose, or even no cap.
Lampshades:
Use your favorite lampshade kit, or dip the paper in the glue mixture until it is "crunchy" then run thru a paper crimper & fasten.
Cleopatra-styled necklace!
After rolling a large number of tapered beads (cut in L-shape so the taper is only towards one side), put each one on a head pin and make a loop at the other end. Using a medium-sized link chain, connect the headpinned bead to every other link. For a cascade effect, make several tiers of the bead-linked chain and connect them.
Decoupage and fans:
Decoupage the design paper onto a wood blank or a small box or cut the paper into 1" x 2" rectangles and pleat the paper into a fan shape. Dip the fans into the same glue mixture & make an unforgettable mobile or fan necklace!
Great with baskets & wreaths:
Paper beads make a great accent when weaving baskets. Their texture is similar to the materials used in basketweaving and the color makes a nice accent. They also work well on floral wire as accents in wreaths and flower arrangements.
To make tapered beads:
cut the paper in a series of "v" shapes across the page making sure to allow at least 1/2" of width on the widest end and taper your smallest end to a point.
Try not to make your bead wider than
1 1/2" for stability. You can use decorative edged scissors for a more interesting look.
Using a water-soluble glue stick, cover the unprinted side of the paper with glue.
Starting at the wide end, tightly roll the paper
towards the narrow end, wrapping it around a
plastic straw (for a large hole) a cotter pin or
straight bobby pin (for a small hole), or a plastic
knitting needle depending on the size of hole you want, to create a nice taper. Apply glue
stick at the end to hold the point shut.
NOW, MIX YOUR DIPPING LIQUID:
In a tall, resealable plastic pitcher or container, mix about 2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of white glue. Shake often to keep mixture suspended. If your mixture just barely drips when you dip your finger in it, then the proportions are correct.
Using a smooth aluminum or plastic tube, or short rod, slide the beads on, keeping them apart from each other with tape or plastic wrap. 3-4 beads per "stick" is about right. You can spray WD-40 very lightly on the rod to keep the beads from sticking to it. Dip the beads into the glue/water mixture about 6-8 times and let dry for at least 10 minutes between dips.
The paper color will become brighter and the color more saturated, and you want to feel a smooth bead with no ridges. The bead will feel very hard when it is dry. After it is fully dry, (allow at least 4 hours) dip the bead one last time into a water-based polyurethane or acrylic finish to seal in the surface.
Making your beads look more exotic and adding interest to them:
When making cylindrical beads (rather than tapered beads) try these treatments,
- Using a small hand-held hole punch, punch random holes in the papers so that when rolled, the lower layers show through. When finished, the beads will not be completely symmetrical, but if you layer several different papers or choose a design that changes, the result will be very exciting.
- After rolling the bead and before beginning the dipping process, wrap metallic or varigated thread around the bead. You need to use a thread that will lay fairly flat, so use a fine gauge. Tie small knots and work from one end to the other.
For tapered beads or cylindrical beads,
- When mixing up the glue and water for dipping your beads, try adding pearlescent pigment additives (find them with the acrylic paints at art supply stores in powder form) in VERY small quantities, or a bit of powdered metallic eye shadow.
Using your beads in jewelry: Hints for stringing.
It may take a while to perfect your beadmaking skills, so that the bead's natural ends look good, and the hole size works well with your headpins or whatever you are using for stringing your beads, so here are a few tips on how to compensate for irregularities:
- After dipping and drying, you can, with a sharp x-acto knife, slice your bead's end to make it flush. A very nice effect is to roll a long tapered bead (2" or so), then after dipping and drying, slice it in half and string it with a rondel or large square glass bead in the middle. Makes a nice centerpiece for a necklace or a bracelet.
- If the hole in the end of your bead is irregular, you can use either bead caps, or, if your bead is a cylinder, then a small sequin makes a nice end as well. For a tapered bead, a very small (4mm) glass or metal bead can fit nicely in the hole and stabilize the bead.
- Whether you do your final polyurethane dip in a gloss or matt finish, remember that your bead's stability will depend on the number of times you've dipped it in the glue mixture and on how tightly you've wound the paper. Make sure it is strong enough to withstand any structural demands you put on it in your design.
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Copyright 2000, Myra Anson Nicholas coyote@nanosite.com and PJewelry, PJewelry2@aol.com