Paper To Paper Bead Idea #4 – Poster Board
Poster boards usually come in 22 x 28 size and they are great for making paper beads. The fiber of the paper is strong and they make thick beads. That being said, my Paper To Paper Bead Idea # 4 is white poster board. I marked and cut the paper on it’s short end, with the measurement 1 cm by 22 inches long. Part of the appeal of paper bead making is the unexpected out come, just like “a box of chocolates, you’ll never know what you’re going to get” right?
Triangle strips: 1 cm by 22 cm
I find the bamboo roller to work better with thicker paper because you can insert the strip of triangle in between the bamboo and then roll.
I was surprised of the outcome, it came out more like saucer shaped 5/8 of an inch in diameter. I was hoping for a more round shape.
I love using nail polish for projects like bracelet and earrings because of the variety of colors and they always have fancy names, this particular nail color is “glass slippers” that just makes me smile.
I let it dry in front of an electric fan and coated it with Vibrance and let it dry again. I brushed the glaze on instead of dipping it.
I made about 13 beads enough for a bracelet and maybe a pair of earrings.
It turned out really nice after all. I took my beads into my studio and start looking for findings that will go well with it. This is what I found, what do you think?
My Paper Beads – by Cathy
We are always looking for tips, ideas on how to make cutting the triangle strips easier and most importantly uniform in shape. Cathy, would like to share with us how she cut her triangle paper with a rotary cutter – primary use is to cut fabric for quilting. Here is a step by step in Cathy’s own words:
Turn first paper over and mark the top and bottom with a little dot as to where to cut. Don’t need to draw the line.
If you were to mark them, it should look like this:
Start at the bottom with the rotary cutter with the ruler on dots. Keep all fingers and finger tips ON the ruler to they don’t get cut off! Stand while cutting so weight is on top of ruler and it doesn’t slide. Keep left pinky finger on side of ruler to keep it in place. apply some pressure to cut through several layers. With a new blade you could probably cut through more than 4 layers at a time but I just did 4 layers.
Keep a steady pressure to cut straight up. You may need to move your left hand up while cutting to the top so it doesn’t slide.
Take rotary cutter all the way through the paper at the top.
Just shows I cut 4 layers at a time. After wards I sort the paper into the 4 different colors.
Cathy finds it easier to cut with the rotary cutter compared to an exacto knife. After you’ve made the beads, make something pretty with it 🙂
Paper Bead Trade w/ Fall Theme is open to anyone who loves to make paper beads whether you are a newbie or an expert we would love to have you! You can sign up by leaving a comment here or email me.
New Bamboo Rollers
We are continuously trying to improve the bamboo rollers, to make them more user friendly. Now, it comes with a full bottle of Diamond Glaze instead of the sampler ones, so you can make a lot of paper beads. It has a new locking mechanism that will keep the paper tightly in place.
Instructions are better explained with a video 🙂
The kit includes; 2 sets of bamboo rollers, strips of pre-cut magazine paper, a full bottle of Diamond Glaze (2 oz), and a brush.
Sample beads are attached to the handles, so you can see how your beads should look like 🙂
How To Make Paper Beads w/ a metal roller
There are several ways you can make paper beads, rolling paper with a metal roller (available for purchase from Aubrey’s Beads, just $12, sold as kit) is just one of them. I like using them because the holes is not as large compared to paper beads made on a dowel or a skewer. I had this specially made with a bamboo holder, you get a good grip of the roller this way. The materials you need are the following and for instructions, please watch the video.
Strips of old magazines cut into triangles
I am using Diamond Glaze to glue the paper and also as glaze/top coat. I like using Diamond Glaze because it gives it a glossy finish and it dries quickly.
Here is the how-to video:
Get inspired and make some beautiful paper beads.
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