I love making paper beads for use on my art dolls and for jewelry. I found that zig zag blade on my paper cutter makes beads that look wonderful. The colorful ones are like diminutive mosaics, while the monochrome make me think of snakeskin.
Using glue stick gives a soft, squishy bead, but using a combination of archival paste and glue stick just for the tips gives a solid bead reminiscent of paper mache.
It's addictive - and a fantastic way of using all those junk mail catalogs.
Using glue stick gives a soft, squishy bead, but using a combination of archival paste and glue stick just for the tips gives a solid bead reminiscent of paper mache.
It's addictive - and a fantastic way of using all those junk mail catalogs.
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Choose a page where the images and color reach the edge of the pages, unless of course you want white beads.
Cut wedges shapes alternating the widest point between the top of the page and the bottom of your sheet. You can cut lengthwise or widthwise - lengthwise gives a slightly fatter bead. I usually make the widest part 1-1.5 inches.
Cut wedges shapes alternating the widest point between the top of the page and the bottom of your sheet. You can cut lengthwise or widthwise - lengthwise gives a slightly fatter bead. I usually make the widest part 1-1.5 inches.
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Thanks for the wavy cut idea. I've been using just a little school glue (like Elmer's) once I get the rolling started. I usually don't use anything to roll them on because I find it easier to tighten the paper when I can hold the bead between my finger and thumb. After I get a bunch of beads made I stick a toothpick through one end and then into a piece of styrofoam to hold them while I give them a swipe of Modge Podge using a brush. Someone had given me the matte finish, so that's what I've used, but there is also a glossy. The beads harden nicely after they dry, but I still plan to use an acrylic as a last coat to give a little more protection. Someone gave me a couple packages of scrapbooking paper and it makes great beads - nice weight. Also, since many of the packages have a theme or color scheme, it's a good way to make beads that mix and match.
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Very nice instructable!
Yes Paste is an archival glue paste for paper and other materials. It's a lot thicker than modge podge, which is an acrylic medium.
aprovechar. Muchas gracias.
Besos.
I have been painting on Future Floor Wax, an inexpensive acrylic sealer. But I see no reason why a spray varnish wouldn't work just as well if you turn the beads to spray all over. Worth trying if you can afford the spray.
For mine, I just mod podge as my paste. Once rolled up, I put a coat of it on the ouside of the bead. Then, once that dries, spray with clear acrylic. Makes them durable and the acrylic makes it waterproof :)
The acrylic sealer is important with mod podge to make sure the bead doesn't get tacky and stick to other paper surfaces. My question is how solid are the beads made with mod podge. I mean do they flatten easily (as glue stick beads will) or not? I'm liking the idea of using mod podge as it is probably less expensive than Yes paste.
Check my blog next week, after Thanksgiving in the US, for some pictures of some very fancy paper beads I made for a round robin doll, with varigated embroidery thread and glass bead embellishments.
www.iggyjingles.blogspot.com
I'll be sure to check out those pictures once Thanksgiving is over with. Sounds neat!
If tiny rolling isn't her thing, perhaps your sister would enjoy cuttingthe strips for you. You could make a big batch of strips for later rolling.
My dd likes running her hands through a bowl of them, and also makesearrings. I think she would like to make jewelry from the beads. Perhapsyour sister would prefer that part of it.
However it might be that your blade is not sharp enough?
I use a sliding cutter, the kind that is sold for scrapbooking work, with interchangeable blades. Once the blade gets a bit blunt, the whole thing is much harder.
It's not an exact science!