Making paper beads is a great way to recycle junk mail, newspapers, or magazines and it’s about as inexpensive as beads get. To either make beads from per-designed paper or to design your own using white paper and markers, simply follow these instructions.

1. Cut long triangles out of magazines, colored construction paper, wallpaper, etc. Choose colors that you like. The base of the triangle will be the width of the bead and the longer the triangle is, the fatter the bead will become. The slender 1-inch (2.5cm) beads used in this method are made from 1-inch by 4-inch (2.5cm x 10cm) triangles, but 1/2-inch by 8-inch (1.27cm x 20cm) triangles would create fat 1/2-inch (1.27cm) beads. Cut accordingly.

2. Turn a triangle design-side down and apply a bit of glue to the pointy end. A glue stick or a tiny bit of liquid glue will do.

3. Starting at the wide end, roll the triangle around itself using a dowel or other slender cylinder. A rounded toothpick or bamboo skewer would work nicely. For a symmetrical spiral, keep the triangle centered as you roll; for a more free-form look, allow the triangle to become slightly off-centered.

4. Glue the tip of the triangle to the rolled paper. If the bead doesn’t stay tightly rolled up, apply another dab of glue.

5. Recommended: Extend the life of each bead by glazing it. Use a finish like Marvin Medium, Hodgepodge, Diamond Glaze, or a solution of one part clear-drying glue to two or three parts water. Let it dry thoroughly, making sure it doesn’t stick to anything. (For example, you might shove a toothpick into a pincushion, or a piece of Styrofoam, or remove the bead and hang it to dry on a piece of string.)

6. Slide the bead off the end of the dowel. If it is well wrapped and glued, it will hold.

7. Repeat Steps 2 through 6 to make as many beads as you want. For earrings or a bracelet, you might make only a few beads. For a necklace or other larger project, you’ll need more.

Tips:

Use a plastic bristled hairbrush for a drying/glazing rack.
Avoid using thick paper or construction paper for the triangles. Thinner paper will roll more easily.
Don’t forget gift wrap and fancy papers found in the scrapbook section of craft stores. One sheet will go a long way.
Look for photographs with colors and textures in them you like. The subjects won’t be very visible after being chopped into triangles and rolled up, but the palette certainly will be. The beads in these photos started life as a jacket ad in a catalog.
Work over paper to avoid making a mess. Put a cutting mat or old piece of cardboard or magazine underneath to spare your table if you choose to cut the triangles with a craft knife.
You can measure the widths or eyeball them for a more variable, handcrafted look.
Try these beads as a three-dimensional addition to a collage or paper mosaic.
You can even paint the outside of the beads with nail polish. This gives them an extra sparkle and makes them sturdier.
You can also make this type of bead using plastic wrappers, such as the ones from bread, hot dog, and hamburger sacks. Look for colorful ones.
You can cut them after they have dried to make different sizes as needed. You need to wait until the glue has completely dried, or they will simply unroll back into strips.

More Paper Beads @ https://evsumricote.wordpress.com/?page_id=358&preview=truex

How to Make a Friendship Bracelet

1

Choose several strands of embroidery thread in your desired colors. Embroidery floss is thicker than normal sewing thread and comes in many different colors. You must have more than one color to create a striped effect. The more strands you choose, the wider the bracelet (and the more visible the pattern) will be.

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2

Measure and cut your first strand. Measure a length of thread slightly longer than the distance from your fingertip to your shoulder, then cut it.
3

Use the cut strand to measure and cut the remaining strands. You need to have at least 3 strings to make this bracelet, but you can have as many as you want. 4 to 6 will make a really skinny bracelet; 8 to 10 will make a thick one.
4

Don’t feel obligated to make every strand a different color; using the same color multiple times will result in more (or thicker) stripes of that color depending on how you arrange them.
5

Pin the bracelet to your pants while you make it. Tie all the ends of the threads together in a square knot and fasten it to something. There are various ways to hold the bracelet in place while you’re making it:
6

The most common method is to put a safety pin through the knotted end and then pin the bracelet to the leg of your pants (on your thigh) far enough away that, as the bracelet lengthens, it doesn’t start creeping up your torso.
7

Some people leave a little extra thread at the beginning to tie around a toe. Toes can be convenient holders as long as you are flexible enough to reach them.
8

Spread the threads out so that, from left to right, the colors are in your desired order. To make the knotted end of your bracelet less bulky, try not to cross the threads over one another too much.
9

For additional flair, make several short braids in the bracelet before spreading the strands out to begin the pattern. Later, you can do the same thing at the opposite end to make the bracelet more interesting (not to mention easier to tie shut).
10

Knot the far left thread (Strand 1) around the thread immediately to its right (Strand 2). Loop it over the front of Strand 2, then around the back, and, finally, up through the loop you’ve created. Pull the end to tighten Strand 1 into a knot. Repeat to make a second knot.
11

As you knot Strand 1, hold Strand 2 taut; this way, you will tie Strand 1 around Strand 2, not with it.
12

immediate right, moving horizontally across the entire row of threads. Use the same method outlined in the previous step for each knot. Eventually, you will have made knots of this color across the entire row.
13

Repeat Steps 6 and 7 using Strand 2, tying the new knots below the existing ones. When you’re done, you will have made a second row of colored knots beneath the first.
14

Continue knotting rows of knots across the threads until the bracelet is the right length. To make sure it fits well, try it on your wrist, there should be enough extra room that you can fit about 2 fingers in next to your wrist, since the bracelet can shrink in water and become too tight (although it will stretch back out when dry).
15

Finish the end of the bracelet in braids if necessary. Be sure to make as many the second time as you did the first.
16

You can also add charms or beads to the end.
17

Tie the loose ends of your strings into a second square knot. Make sure that the knot doesn’t take up any of the length you need to wear the bracelet.
18

Trim any loose ends. Your bracelet is now ready to give to a good friend!
19

Finished.