"A blog dedicated to the art of making paper beads & paper bead jewelry...by Janice Mae"
Beaded Paper Chains
Don’t you just love paper chains? You remember making them as a kid and the satisfaction you get when you see them getting longer and longer? We have been making a lot of elastic bracelets and we just have a pile of them. I was playing with them one day, and discovered that they make really nice and colorful chain links! We made several of the elastic bracelets using small round beads and small olive shaped beads.
It is very simple to turn them into chains and here’s how I did it
This style of linking the bracelets into a chain is so versatile and a lot of possibilities. Because there is no clasp involve, you just tie them with a ribbon for closure you can wear them several ways.
This would also be pretty as a belt. The same necklace, we converted it into a bracelet.
You can use it as a hair scrunchie
I think it would work great as a head band also!
Soon, you might find this versatile way of turning elastic bracelet into beaded chain links in catalogs and stores! Just say you saw it here first 🙂
Upcoming posts: More updates on the Paper Bead Trade, Crochet with paper beads and Simple Wire Wrap for Shell Pendants.
Read MorePrecious Parcels – Bead Trade Update
I was supposed to do a tutorial on crocheting with beads (the easy way), but I just had to interrupt today’s post (or tomorrow), I am too excited when I received these packages today from you guys! Let me share with you the paper beads I got in the mail today, all eight of them!
These are from Aileen, I especially love the mauve color bead, the confetti looking ones and the peachy colored ones. They are all beautiful.
These ones are from Patty, she made them on her trip to Aruba, and they are made from travel brochures and she actually rolled these beads on the sand from the beach! How cool is that? You will be getting beads that has sand from the beaches in Aruba 🙂 You can check out Patty’s other hobby at punchneedlechix.
These babies came all the way from France, Claire shares tutorials and all sorts of craft in her blog Papelhilo. I just love the bigger beads in caramel color which would be really good as focal beads.
I have received these barrel shaped paper beads from Kari, the red ones is so rich in color and the black and white patterned beads almost look like the zentangles that I did. They will look pretty with spacers in between them.
Gisela’s beads, are lacquered to a glass like finish! Do you want to share with us your technique 😉 They are beautiful, love the pastel colors and the big tube ones would make a nice focal bead as well. She sent us enough, I will make sure everybody get some of her beads.
Next, is Elim’s and sister Liz’s paper beads. You can see more of Elim’s paper bead creations here. She sent it to me strung, olive shaped ones, spacers and barrel shaped, Maybe Elim can tell us the type of paper she used, they are so pretty.
Liz’s beads is a nice cotton candy pink with swirls of chocolate brown, I just love the pink and brown combination, as you can see here:
Last but not least, is from Christine, what a mixture of lively colors; hot pink, baby pink, olives, maroon, aqua blue and I especially like the black bead.
So, there it is folks, some really nice paper beads each one hand rolled by you! Hopefully I will get the rest of the beads this week, irregardless I will be sending out your kits on July 15th. I will be sharing with you my sister’s beads as well, mine and Kayla’s.
Read MoreCrocheted Balls
One of my passions is crochet. The only craft where I enjoy reading and following intricate instructions. I remember first crocheting with my hand when I was six years old. I crocheted over these wood beads, with cotton yarn and I thought they would go very nicely with paper beads. Kayla, chose the beads to go with it and made matching earrings. She used the medium olive size beads (1/2 inch long) in very nice tones of yellow and orange.
She used the red crocheted balls for this necklace.
Another nice addition to paper beads would be fabric covered beads.
She also made earrings to match
This piece can go with a simple linen suit, definitely wearable to the office, don’t you think?
Upcoming Posts: How to crochet with paper beads.
Read MoreKumihimo Bracelets
Kumihimo just sounds complicated, I recently found out that it’s not. Couple of weeks ago, I was at the San Diego Fair and happen to stop by at the San Diego Weaver’s Guild booth, check out their website it is interesting the classes and programs that they offer. It took a whole 5 minutes for me to learn it there, my video is longer. I made a few bracelets and even incorporated paper beads, after all this is paperbeads the blog 🙂
You need: craft foam 3 inches square, cut out a circle in the center of the foam and 2 slits an inch apart in all four sides, total of eight slits. Please refer to above image for slit placements.
Here’s what I did with paper beads.
I just added different shaped paper beads at the closure on this one.
To add beads to the braid itself, this video tutorial I think, explains it best:
It is a really cool friendship bracelets for grown ups 😉 How about kumhimo with paper beads dangles like this one for Idea # 6? Eveline has also great design ideas for paper beads here. For those of you who have paper bead ideas in your blog or website please email me so I can put a link here.
These look really nice worn together, and had lots of compliments!
Button Ring Tutorial
I found more yummy buttons at Joann’s Fabric. They are so summery, one of those I consider shots of happiness. You put them on your finger and you are instantly in a better mood. Fashion experts will tell you to buy less clothes and just accessorize what you have, accessories is everything! You do it with paper beads and you transform from cool to super cool 🙂
And the materials are: ring blank, flat button, small round paper beads, 26 gauge wire, glue gun and round nose pliers.
You can also put a glass bead in the center of the flower…..
These are the buttons that you can find at Joann’s.
They were very easy and simple to make and can certainly be made in different ways. The Orange Button in this ring already have a flower design on it.
This Blue Confetti Button Ring, has a glass pearl in the center.
Becky of Infarrantly Creative has a series of zipper jewelry tutorial on her crafty blog and one of them is zipper earrings with paper beads.
Infarrantly Creative's Zippered Earrings Design
Idea # 5 for the Paper Bead Trade is the Button Rings. Reminder for the Paper Bead Trade participants: Start making those beads or if you already have made some mail them to me so I can start putting the kit together 🙂
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