The Art of
Making Paper Beads

Making paper beads was something my grandmother used to do. She would take old pieces of paper, magazines, wall paper, just about any kind of paper she could find, and make beads. Recently, this art form has resurfaced. With all of the amazing colors and papers available now for scrap booking, it was only a matter of time before this bead making skill returned.

Making Paper Beads

What you will need:

• Scraps of paper (any kind - uniform colors or designs work best)
• White glue
• *Water (if using water/glue mix)
• Small paint brush (optional)
• Small bowl
• Scissors or cutting tool
• Skewer or small dowel
• Corn Starch
• Spray sealer (optional)

Assembly Instructions
For Making Paper Beads

Select your paper.

Pretty much any paper will do when making paper beads. The only important thing is color or pattern. Each bead will be unique, but if you keep your color palate the same, they will seem to go together. Now days, with all the options available with printers and the internet, you can even print out different designs or pictures to make your beads out of.

Cut your paper.

Cut your paper into long triangle shapes ending in a point. Experiment with length and width. Your finished bead will end up as wide as the widest point of the cut paper. The point will be on the very top of the bead, so make sure all your points are the same (all pointed, or all flattened), it will help with the uniform look of the beads.

*Prepare your glue.

There are a couple of different gluing methods you could use when making paper beads. I will give you a few of the options here.

You can make a glue/water mixture that you dip your paper into before you roll them, or dip the finished beads into.

For this mixture, I would really experiment with the glue/water ratio to find what works best for you. Sometimes humidity and altitude can play tricks with the drying time and how well this method works. The standard is about 3 parts glue to 1 part water. You just need to thin the glue down a little with the water.

The only problem with this method is it can make some dyes and inks run. You may want to test a scrap piece of paper before attempting to dip or paint all your beads.

*You could also just glue the ends of your beads with some white glue. Use a toothpick to dab a little bit of glue underneath the tip of your rolled paper. Be sure to do this while it is still on the skewer or dowel and set it aside to dry. You may have to hold in place for a bit to get the glue to hold your paper in place tightly.

You could experiment with other types of glues, if you don’t want to use white glue. Since this same process can be used to make fabric beads, you will want to use some sort of fabric glue on your fabric beads.

Dip your paper.

*If you are going to just glue the ends of your paper, skip this step.

If you are using the paper dipping method for making paper beads, you will want to dip your entire triangle of paper into the glue. Make sure the paper is thoroughly coated on both sides with the glue mixture. Use your fingers to wipe off all the excess glue. (More excess glue will squeeze out as you roll up your beads.)

You could also choose to paint the glue onto your paper with a paint brush instead of dipping. Be careful to use a test piece of paper to ensure the dye or ink doesn't run.

Roll your paper.

You will want to use a skewer, dowel, round toothpick, etc... to roll your paper around. The desired size of the finished bead hole, will dictate what you will use to roll your paper around. Round toothpicks and kabob skewers seem to work the best. Coat the skewer, dowel, or toothpick with some corn starch to prevent sticking.

When making paper beads, you want to start from the widest point of the triangle, and roll up the paper tightly around your skewer, dowel or toothpick. Try and maintain an equal tension and keep the paper as straight as possible. (Practice makes perfect in this step.) Your paper will narrow as you roll, and your bead will get thicker. The point of your triangle should end up in the very center of the bead. Once your bead is completely formed, wipe away any excess glue that has squeezed out.

Set aside on some wax paper to dry. Check and turn them regularly to keep them from sticking or getting flat on one side. If possible, hang the skewer, dowel or toothpick so that the beads are suspended while they dry. (Balancing the sticks over an open container or pot works great.)

*Glue your ends.

If you did not use the paper dipping method, you will need to secure your ends at this point. You will dab a little bit of glue on the ends of all your beads before you remove them from the skewer, dowel or toothpick. Once your ends are secure, you can remove your beads and set them aside while you make more.

You can also dip the finished beads into a glue/water mixture at this point. This will firmly secure all of the paper together. If you dip your beads, you will want to make sure to set them on wax paper so they can dry while they are still on the skewer, dowel or toothpick. If you dip just the beads, you will have to pierce the bead holes with a skewer, toothpick or needle when they are dry to re-open the holes.

You can also choose to thinly paint on the glue mixture. You will want a little thicker mixture of glue if you use this method. It does not have to be as watered down. Make sure to use a soft bristle paint brush to limit the brush strokes showing when the bead is dry.

Finishing you beads.

When making paper beads, there are quite a few ways you can finish them. You can leave them the way they are, or you can put a sealing coat of some sort on them. (If you used the paper or bead dipping method, your glue will dry clear and leave a little bit of a shiny finish on the beads.)

You could use a spray sealer to lightly and evenly coat your finished beads. Make sure it’s not too thick and that it is applied evenly, or you could get lumps and bubbles on your finished beads. These come in gloss, semi-gloss and flat finishes. It is easiest to use a spray sealer if the beads are still on their skewers, dowels or toothpicks.

You could use a paint on sealer. Be careful to apply it very thinly or you will have the same bubble and lump problem. If needed, you can add multiple coats. These also come in gloss, semi-gloss and flat finishes. If bumps and bubbles occur, you may need to sand your beads in between coats.

I have heard of people using a clear gloss top coat nail polish as a finishing coat when making paper beads.

There are also other craft mediums you could use as finishes such as mod podge and other decoupage products.

Note: If you use mod podge, you will not have to use glue. Use this product in place of the glue either to coat your paper or your finished beads. Make sure to do a test swatch to check for ink and dye fastness.

Use your beads.

Once your beads are dry, you can use them just like any other jewelry bead. The finished beads are extremely light weight, and can be used in any form of jewelry making. Add a few findings and other jewelry components or beads, then string them onto wire or other beading string to make necklaces and bracelets. Or use decorative head pins or add wire wrap components to make them into earrings. The limits to what you can create with these beads are entirely up to your imagination!

Making paper beads can be not only fun, but very creative! You can experiment with different kinds of papers and different kinds of prints. You can find pictures with bright colors and fun shapes on the internet to print out (just please observe the copyright laws). There is finally a way to use up all those magazines you get in your junk mail, too! Cut up the pictures and even the articles for fun and interesting effects on your beads.

The process of making paper beads is not just limited to paper, either. You could try using different kinds and colors of fabrics. You’ll get an entirely different effect. The process is the same, the only difference would be the kinds of glues or finishes you may use and the final finished effect.

One note for fabric beads: You will want to put some sort of fray check product along all of your cut edges, or choose fabrics that don’t fray. If you don’t, you can end up with a bunch of little strings hanging out that will make your beads look messy.

Experiment with the length of your triangles to see how long it needs to be to get your desired size of bead. Paper is much thinner and condenses down much farther than fabric, so you will need shorter triangle lengths of fabric than paper, to make a bead of about the same dimensions.

With a little imagination, you can make some incredible, unique jewelry when the art of making paper beads is added to your jewelry creating abilities. Add a few paper beads in with regular beads. Mix and match and see what kind of magic happens.....

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