"A blog dedicated to the art of making paper beads & paper bead jewelry...by Janice Mae"
First Day Of Fall Paper Bead Trade
Our Second Paper Bead Trade is official today! It is still open to anyone who would like to join – as long as I will get your beads on October 23rd. From today until we end the trade I would like to devote my posts to how-to’s and projects to inspire everyone, hopefully our Gallery will be up by then. The last bead swap we had, we didn’t really specify what we were supposed to make, this time I think it will be nice if we all make the same thing and I suggest a three strand bracelet – a tutorial will be posted of course. We don’t have to decide at this point, I will be showing you different things and we can decide then. Today, Kayla made paper beads out of scrap book paper.
As usual I have fun taking pictures!
What do you have when you marry lucite beads and paper beads?
Today, it got cooler in Glendora and I can feel Fall already…..
Chocolate and Mint
You marry chocolate and mint and what do you get? Refreshingly cool bracelet! Kayla made the paper beads out of scrap booking paper, the color of mint with a smattering of browns. I love how they came out in perfect uniform shape. This is one design where simple is beautiful. The paper beads almost look like jade and in fact it is that color.
This is strung on a beading wire and finished off with copper magnetic closure to complement the disc shaped wood beads.
This is what I love about paper beads, you can make them in any color you want!
I am so sorry if it seems like I am neglecting the Paper Bead Trade, just kind of in the middle of a lot of cool stuff, so many projects so little time. I want to email everybody including those who were in the last bead swap in case they are not aware of what is going on and post more sample “fall(ish)” paper beads.
Upcoming posts: Did you know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month? Which means pink beads!
Read MoreTiara Fit For A Little Princess
Last Saturday Lana turned a year old and I made her a little tiara made out of hot pink paper beads to match her tutu. Her mommy did a good job with the tutu it was not scratchy as I thought most tutu would, they are actually soft as clouds, pink clouds that is 🙂
I made the tiara just using 24 gauge wire also with left over beads and crystals and just attached a store bought comb and painted it gold with acrylic paint to go with the wire. Honestly, the grown ups had more fun than she did.
Am I becoming one of those grandmothers who bore others with pictures and little stories about their grand kids? I think so, and I will make it up to you with an easy tiara tutorial which I am still trying to figure out up to now. I mean the easy part:)
I certainly had fun making this tiara for her! I must say she is rather carried it well, a true Paper Bead Princess.
Paper Beads By Sanja
Sanja, is an avid crafter and has perfected the skill of making paper beads. She is sharing with us one the many ways paper beads can be made from, in this case she took an old calendar with the beautiful colors of purple and lavender and it came out beautifully! The image she sent me will take you from the page of the calendar she took, drawing the triangle lines on the wrong side of it, cutting it into strips and turning it into beautiful paper beads!
The paper beads with the leaves on the ground is so evocative of Fall, I just loved it! Don’t you?
A Tutorial on Saucer Shapes
Is it a spacer or a saucer? A button or a charm? However you may call this saucer shaped bead it is versatile in its uses and most amazing thing of all it is made of paper! Finally, here is the tutorial, it took awhile for my sister Joann to put a video together and I am writing out for you the instructions.
These instructions is for one large saucer bead which measures about 1 3/4 inch in diameter.
25 triangle strips ( 1/2 inch at the base and 17 inches long) – this is the first part of the bead
13 triangle strips (3/16 inch at the base and 17 inches long) – this the 2nd part of the beads
metal or bamboo roller
elmer’s glue or any white glue
You will hold the 25 triangle strips in your hand and roll the first 2 or 3 inches with a roller (how big your roller is will determine the hole of your bead). You will continue rolling (you can take out the roller at this point), hold it tightly while doing it and glue the ends as you go as seen here. After the first 25 strips are rolled and glued, you will then take the 13 strips and join it to where you ended the first round and do the same thing. Here’s the rest of the instructions:
If you want to have a particular color in mind not the magazine colors you see above, you can paint them into different colors!
I would like for you to try it and then show me what you did, you can do so by emailing me photos and we can share it here. Sunday, September 26th will be the last day for you to sign up for our Paper Bead Trade, you can do so by leaving me a comment here.
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