Making Paper Beads

This is what your paper beads will look like

How I make Paper Beads for my Etsy shop: annemadethis

Some how this tutorial got lost, so I am rewriting it and posting it again.

Materials:
Front of the cereal box                        Styrofoam egg carton                      
Scissors                                             Soft brush & square edge brush (1/2")
Ruler                                                  Pencil
Tacky Glue                                          Paper plate
Tooth picks                                         TripleThick Gloss

1. For a basic 3/4" bead, start with the front of a cereal box.  Turn it over to the back side or inside of the box.  Start with the shorter end (A) and mark the edge every 3/4".  On the opposite end (B), measure in 3/8", this is your first mark on the (B) end.  From this mark, measure in 3/4" intervals until the end.  See picture below.

Back of cereal box marked in 3/4" intervals 

2. Using a ruler, connect the first mark on edge (B) with with the corner of the box on edge (A).  Now connect the first mark on edge (A) to the first mark on edge (B).  This will make a long triangle.  It sounds confusing at first, but look at the picture below, you will get it very quickly.

The next triangle is formed by connecting the first mark on edge (A) with the second mark on edge (B), then connecting  second mark on edge (B) with second mark on edge (A).  You will now have formed 3 triangles for bead making.  Continue this way until all marks are connected.  Marking the cardboard is probably the hardest part of this process.

All marks connected to form triangles

3.  Cut along the lines carefully.  You should have about 18 long triangles.  Throw away the first and last pieces, they are scrap.

Triangle cut from cereal box

4. Squeeze a dollop of glue on the paper plate.  Have your soft brush  and a tooth pick nearby.  Take one triangle, starting with the larger end and bend it gently around the tooth pick.  Continue wrapping the triangle tightly around the tooth pick.  Try to keep it straight and centered.  When you are about 2" from the tip of the triangle, apply the tacky glue with the brush on the remaining part of the triangle.  Now continue wrapping until the end.  Hold end firmly until glue sets, usually less than a minute.  Stick the finished bead with the tooth pick into a Styrofoam egg carton or other container.  If you put another tooth pick in the opening, this will steady the bead and set it up for glazing.  Let it dry about 30 minutes.

Beads drying

5.  The last step is glazing the bead.  I like to use a high gloss acrylic glaze, Triple Thick (R) .  Holding the bead by the tooth picks, I coat each bead, using the square edge brush.  It usually takes about 30 minutes for the glaze to dry, then I brush on another coat.  Then I usually let the beads dry overnight.  This makes the hard shiny finish I love.

This is just the first step in making beads.  You can vary the size and thickness of the paper.  Also you can alter the shape of the paper that you wrap, this will change the shape of the bead.

Try making a few beads, let me know if the directions need revision.  Send me your comments and pics of your beads!

You can see the beads I have made at my Etsy shop, please stop by.  Like my Facebook page too!