Wire Wrapped Paper Bead Tube Necklace
There’s so much inspiration around us that can be interpreted in a jewelry design. Something, someone can spark your interest and gets you motivated. My home is full of stuff collected over the years; books, magazines, fabric, yarn, boxes…..anything that I think I can use someday. Once in a while I try to organize and clean up or I could end up on that television show. But, this is where I get my inspiration. I may not need that piece of ribbon or box now but I can assure you I will find use for it someday. One of my source of inspiration is my collection of old books. I have a book which I “thrifted” few years ago, 400 Outstanding Women of the World and Costumulogy of Their Time by Minna M. Schmidt. The stories of these women are just fascinating and inspiring.
On the first page of the book you will see Pocahontas and it tells you a brief story about her and it even has her picture on it !
Every one of these women featured in this book has an image of her. The story they tell is fascinating and awe-inspiring. You will find on page 190 Barbara Uttman (1514-1575) of Germany. She founded the lace industry in her community. It was told that at her wedding she presented her groom a set of cuffs of Cluny lace that she made. She taught lace making and provided jobs to ten thousand lace workers both men and women. Barbara Uttman’s motto still lives among her countrymen, “Great Thoughts Come From The Heart.”
In Honor of her, I made this necklace out of paper bead tubes and paper clay. I love working with paper clay, it air dries overnight and lightweight just like the paper beads. All I did was copy her image and set it on the paper clay with diamond glaze.
I then applied gold leaf on the sides to give it that antiquey look.
Here’s a video on how to wire wrapped paper bead tubes. Instead, of using bead caps I wire wrapped the top part and bottom part of the paper beads to cover the holes.
Peter, Peter Pumpkin Paper Bead Bracelet
This is such a fun, whimsical bracelet. It reminds you to be lighthearted and stay young at heart, not to take life too seriously. I love this bracelet and had fun making it. I collect old children books and the text that I transferred into the spacer bar holding the strands of paper beads is from one of the pages. The spacer bar I formed into a rectangle out of paper clay, if you do not have access to paper clay you can use any kind of clay available at craft stores. They are very light and goes well with paper beads. I use the 7-8mm round paper beads.
It is reversible and you can use the other side without the text.
Play with Paper Beads and Paper Clay
I am introduced lately to paper clay, how? By wandering around craft stores, getting inspired, getting ideas, if you are into all sorts of paper crafts like me you know what I mean. Creative Paper Clay, is just like any other clay except, it is easier to work with and requires no firing in a kiln or oven. I like doing things simple and this requires no experience it all. It is very light when dry, like soft wood. It is great companion for paper beads and so I made a beaded paper clay bead with small paper beads.
Paper Clay once taken out of the package just looks like dough and it is soft and moist. I cut out one with a cooker cutter to show you how it looks like unpainted.
You can sand it, and paint it if you like. What I did with mine is mixed in red acrylic paint to a hue of pink to go with my paper beads. Here’s an example of other beads I made; I glued crystals on it and varnish it with diamond glaze to make it look like a disco ball and the other one, I crocheted around it, I like it better than crochething around wood or beads, because I can make it any size and color I want.
Here is my paper beaded ball! I like holding it and rolling it around my hands, I don’t know what to do with it yet, maybe a pendant or something.
I used monofilament string or fishing line so it does not show and strung a red seed bead, 7 small paper beads, a red seed bead and just go around the bead. For this size of bead which is about, 25 mm I used up 3 strands or 77 small paper beads.
This will be listed on my etsy shop, so someone can make it into a pendant or do something special with it. I hope this has inspired you to make something with paper beads today.
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