Paper Bead Crafts

• Bead Rolling Tools

• Toothpicks

I recommend round wooden toothpicks which are just under 1/8" thick. These are perfect for also holding the beads when you are glazing the beads. Of course there are several different types of toothpicks but the ones I think are best for actually rolling the beads, are toothpicks that are round.

• Knitting Needles

As you may know, knitting needles come in several different sizes and you should be able to make almost any size bead on these but they can be hard to use if you are making small beads. I really do recommend using a mechanical bead roller for actually rolling the beads. The knitting needles would be a good tool to use when drying beads with different sized holes. Just cut notches in shoe box to fit the thickness of each knitting needle and place the knitting needle across the box in the notches with the beads on the needle. Then glaze the beads. When the beads are dry, you can cut them apart with a sharp razor blade while the beads are still on the knitting needle. This drying method works best if the holes in the beads are bigger than 1/8" in diameter.

• Commercially made bead rollers.

I have "The Bead Crafter" which I bought out of a magazine 8 years ago. They are are no longer being manufactured or offered by the company where I ordered mine from and they are really hard to find but I have found some at Ebay. The thing is, you never know when one is going to get offered there so you may be better off making your own.

• Hand Made Bead Roller

You can make one yourself! For $5.00 you can get complete instructions on how to make a bead roller which works like the commercial bead rollers that are very hard to find. The materials for the home made bead roller are almost all readily available. I do offer the cotter pins you will need to make the bead roller work. If you order the cotter pins kit, you will get the instructions on how to build the bead roller for free.

• Purchase Instructions & Cotter Pins
Purchase Bead Maker Instructions & Cotter Pins for just $14.95.
Purchase just the Instructions for $5.00:

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