Paper Bead Crafts

• Newspaper

Because this paper is so thin, it works best when made into tapered beads. To cut the strips, cut them into very long slender triangles the whole length of the newspaper sheet from top to bottom. This will produce a bead which is about 6mm in diameter. You can make the beads any length you want from 1/4" up to 2" but the effect works best when you cut the wide end of the triangle to about 1/2" to 3/4". The beads end up being prettier and easier to use in necklaces and bracelets. The beads you make 1/2" to 5/" long work great as earrings.

• Gift Wrap

Gift wrap is really wonderful for making very colorful beads which are tapered. I recommend cutting the paper into 12" long tapered strips to make it easier to handle. If you cut the paper from a roll, measure in 12" from the end of the roll then cut the strips from cut edge to cut edge to make your strips 12" long. I recommend using the 1/16" and 1/8" size pins to roll this on. Any larger than that and the beads will end up being flimsy.

• Brown Paper Bags

This paper makes wonderful natural looking "wood" like beads. I would use at least the 1/8" or 1/4" pin for these beads. Rolling them on the 1/16" pin is really difficult to do. These beads were made first then I used regular markers to make the designs on them. You are only limited to your imagination to what you can decorate these with.

• Scrap Booking Paper

This paper comes in various sizes and styles but it is a little thicker than regular copy paper. I found it hard to roll up using the 1/16" pin so I color photo copied the pattern onto regular copy paper which then make it much easier to roll up. The color photo copier I have does a good job duplicating the colors of the original. You could make and endless supply of beads of one color by making color copies. You could also use a scanner to scan a part of the print for use on printing it on copy paper. This paper though, could be rolled up using either the 1/8" or 1/4" thick pin for bigger beads. I would cut this paper in wedges for the best affect. Or to get more beads of this print from one sheet, you could cut squares or small rectangles and applique them onto a basic tube bead done in a matching plain piece of construction paper to use as it's base. You could do this especially with the small pieces of scrap book paper found in packages of square and rectangular pieces.

• Origami Paper

Origami paper works best if you use it as an applique on a base tube bead as a final layer. It comes in various sizes and all of the pieces are square. This is also one of those papers you could scan into your computer for use with the paper bead designer program I wrote.

• Magazines & Catalogs

The magazines work best if made into tapered beads. Of course as you know, there are millions of magazines out there and you have an endless supply of paper to use to make beads. It is a great way to recycle the paper that the magazines are made from. The paper from magazines and catalogs I found works best are the actuall pages as opposed to the covers. The covers are a little thicker and you should use the 1/8" pin for them. Here is a tip for using the magazines. Try to find pages that have matching colors so you can get consistent looking beads. The edges of your strips is what you will see when you finish making your beads so keep that in mind when cutting your strips.

• Junk Mail Flyers

These are glossy papers that you get inside credit card offers, with your telephone bill or other documents that you get in a standard envelope. These are the glossy sheets of paper that you normally would throw into your recycle bin or trash depending on where you live. Our community recycles all paper trash. You can use these the same way you would use magazines and catalogs. Again you probably have an endless supply of them.

• Plain White Copy Paper

This is what I use for the majority of my paper beads. This is the paper that my "Paper Bead Designer" is meant for. According to the package of copy paper I have, it is 20lb Multipurpose bright white paper with a brightness of 92.

These beads wer made by scribbling on plain copy paper with a red and blue pen only on the sides of the paper. Then the paper was cut into tapered strips and rolled and glazed.

These beads were made by paper that had been printed in an all over pattern on a computer, then cut into tapered strips then rolled and glazed.

These beads wer made by scribbling on plain copy paper with a black and blue pen. Then the paper was cut into tapered strips and rolled and glazed.

• Colored Copy Paper

This paper is very good for making solid colored beads. It comes in a wide rainbow of colors and even some prints. There is pre printed 8 1/2" x 11 sheets that are meant for stationery to print out letters with your printer. You can print on it but you really have to make sure you use Mod Podge for the first coat of finish or the ink will run and make the beads look terrible.

These beads were made with colored copy paper that had been printed on with a dot matrix printer. Then they were cut into tapered strips, rolled up and glazed.

• Construction Paper

I haven't tried construction paper yet but when I do, I will write a review on it.

• Velum

I haven't tried velum yet but when I do, I will write a review on it.