Making paper beads out of magazine pages is a classic craft that has never gone out of style.(I even made them back in the late 70s when I was a kid.) You can also use wrapping paper, or any of the great scrapbooking papers that are out now. Your kids will love these beads in their original form or with a new twist.
What I have to offer here that’s new are truly original paper beads because you make the paper yourself. These beads have a different look, too, because you use dark paper and shiny gel pens. You can also have very young children participate, because scribbling is part of the process.
Materials:
Black or dark-colored paper
Gel pens or metallic permanent markers
Scissors
Ruler
Glue Stick
Toothpick or wooden skewer
Mod Podge or acrylic spray sealer (optional)
1. Scribble all over the paper with the pens. Neatness doesn’t count! Work quickly, and just make sure you cover the paper well. Try several overlapping colors.
2. Turn the paper over. Measure and mark 3/4” segments along the top of the page. Measure and mark 3/4 inch segments along the bottom of the page, starting 1 1/2” from the edge. Connect the marks to make long skinny triangles as shown.
3. Cut out the triangles.
4. Starting at the wide end, wrap a triangle snugly around a toothpick or skewer, with the design on the outside. When there is about two inches of paper left to wrap, coat the inside heavily with the glue stick. Finish wrapping the bead. Slide it off the skewer.
5. The beads are fine as-is, but if you want a glossy coat, paint on some Mod Podge or spray with an acrylic sealer. Let dry.
String on a cord for a necklace or bracelet. Or, you can make a bookmark with part of the paper and string the beads on a cord to attach to the top of the bookmark like this one.
