I first had the idea to make paper beads when we lived in Tanzania, over there people would make beautiful necklaces out of paper. so when we moved back to the US, I tried my own and it was successful. This necklace is easy to make in an evening and a cool thing to be able to say "yes, I made it!"

Step 1: Collect Your Supplies

The supplies are very simple.

Different newspaper, or colorful paper you have sitting around. I like to look through the newspaper for colorful pages.

Scissors

Elmer's glue

Mod Podge

Paint Brush

Thick String

Matches (or just something thin you can use to wrap your beads around)

Step 2: Cutting the Paper

Once I find paper that I like, I cut them in long triangles. Depending on your triangle shape it makes short fatter beads, or wider thin ones. It is fun to play around and see how different ones turn out. As in the picture, the size I would want to make the fatter end is about 1/4th to 1/3rd the length of a matchstick.

Step 3: Making the Beads

To make the beads, I wrap my cut papers around a matchstick, the wider side first. Once I'm almost to the end I put a little dab of glue on it, then fastened the end, making sure it stays good. Then I let it set until the beads are dry, about 15 minutes.

Step 4: Mod Podge

So once the beads are dry from gluing them, I pulled them off the matchsticks. Then using my paintbrush I covered them in a thin layer of Mod Podge. The Mod Podge gives the beads a shiny clear coat. Once I Mod Podge all my beads I let them set till they were all the way dry, a couple hours.

Once they were dry, I cut a string The length I wanted my necklace to be. I also chose a few other beads I wanted to use to add to my necklace. I then strung the beads in the order I wanted them, added a fastener, and Walla! Now I have made my own homemade paper bead necklace.