Hi Creative Friends,

While rearranging my daughter's bookshelf, I came across some coloured sheets of paper. Leftovers of some project she had made earlier.

The orange and yellow colours reminded me of the beautiful colours of the Dawn and Dusk sky. Hence the name. I decided to make a bracelet for her. Since I used cotton jewellery cord I made the bracelet with sliding beads at the end. If you prefer elastic cord you may just tie up the ends.

The final bracelet turned out to be an amazing piece on her wrist.

Sharing the project with you all. Even the children can join in creating their pieces.

Step 1: Making the Square or Pillow Paper Beads

Materials needed

Sheets of yellow and orange craft paper. (You can use any paper of your choice, depending on the pattern you prefer.)
Craft knife or scissors.
Metal scale
Glue
Jewellery cord/string/elastic cord. Length depending on the style and length of the bracelet.
Grided craft cutting board.

Cut the triangles of the dimensions shown in the first image. Glue together the broad ends of two strips, leaving out little extra edges. These help to give a nice shape to the beads. Turnover and fold one strip over the other and the second strip over the first. Turnover and repeat.

(There are videos on square paper beads making on YouTube if you are having trouble.)

Step 2:

Keep repeating till you reach the ends. Glue the ends neatly unto the bead. The image shows the bead made with 2 colours of paper strips. The second image shows the folding of same coloured strips to make single colour beads. I have used double coloured as well as single coloured beads.

Step 3: Bicone Beads Making

I have used 2 small bicone beads as sliding beads to adjust the size of the bracelet.

Roll the triangular strip from the broad end to the tip and glue the tip.

Step 4: Glazing the Paper Beads

You can brush Mod Podge or Water Based Polyurethane Gloss Varnish. I used the latter as I had it with me.

The glazed beads can be left to dry on toothpicks stuck to a styrofoam tray. (Recycling fruit packaging.) As it was a hot and windy day the beads dried up in a few hours.

Step 5: Stringing the Beads

Using the jewellery cord and a big-eyed needle string up the beads. Bring the ends together and string in the two bicones through both ends to make a circle. Make large knots at the ends of the cord so that the beads do not come off. Then take another piece of the cord and string in and out of the two bicone beads and bring it back through the small to the other end and tie up the ends securely. Trim off the excess to make a neat knot. This is done to tighten the slide of the beads along the main cords so that the bracelet doesn't open up while wearing.