About

Cost
$ $ $ $ $
Difficulty
• • • • •
Time
10 mins

a simple way to add some color to your outfit.
I recently brought this really paper bead bracelet at lunch at my school for five bucks to support women in Uganda. I started to really think about how they made them. I experimented and researched until I found the right way to make a tubular, shiny paper bead.

Posted by Kriskat from San Francisco, California, United States • Published See Kriskat's 11 projects »
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  • How to make a paper bead. Paper Beads - Step 1
    Step 1

    gather your materials.

  • How to make a paper bead. Paper Beads - Step 2
    Step 2

    1) take your magazine cut out and turn it over to the unwanted side. this is where you will be drawing your outline.

  • How to make a paper bead. Paper Beads - Step 3
    Step 3

    2) using a long, thin triangle template, draw the outline.

  • How to make a paper bead. Paper Beads - Step 4
    Step 4

    3) cut out the triangle and save the other pieces for future beads.

  • How to make a paper bead. Paper Beads - Step 5
    Step 5

    4) take either the plastic q- tip tube or the metal rod and start rolling, using the fatter part of the triangle as you start to roll. make sure you use both hands.

  • How to make a paper bead. Paper Beads - Step 6
    Step 6

    5) keep rolling (tightly) until you have about two inches of paper left. again, use both hands.

  • How to make a paper bead. Paper Beads - Step 7
    Step 7

    6) while still holding the paper in place, coat the underside of the remaining two inches of paper in clear nail polish or diamond glaze. (I used nail polish. you can also use some sort of clear glue).

  • How to make a paper bead. Paper Beads - Step 8
    Step 8

    7) continue to tightly roll the paper, making sure to clean off any excess glue/nail polish. I used one hand to turn the rod (to roll the paper) and the other hand (using the thumb on the paper) to press down tightly while it is being rolled to ensure a tight bead and a secure gluing. this also helps get rid of the excess glue/polish.

  • How to make a paper bead. Paper Beads - Step 9
    Step 9

    8) if you want your bead to be waterproof and have a spectacular shine, take your glaze or nail polish and gently coat the bead by gently rotating the rod with one hand while applying the glaze with the other.

  • How to make a paper bead. Paper Beads - Step 10
    Step 10

    9) let the glaze dry for a bit on the rod, and slowly slide it off, using your thumb to ease the bottom of the bead up towards the end of the rod, and the other hand ready at the end to gently grab the top of the bead to prevent the glaze from messing up.

  • How to make a paper bead. Paper Beads - Step 11
    Step 11

    10) slide the bead onto a pin with a long shaft (ha ha ha) and a big pin top. stick the pin into something like a styrofoam cone to let the bead dry completely.

  • How to make a paper bead. Paper Beads - Step 12
    Step 12

    after you are sure your bead is dry, take it off the come, remove it from the pin and enjoy!

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Comments

Kriskat
Kriskat · San Francisco, California, US · 20 projects
send me pictures when you do!
Reply
RubyInGA
RubyInGA · Tifton, Georgia, US
Can't wait to try these!
Reply

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