Paper
Beads goes back a long time. It is said that women gathered in groups to make
beads out of unused wallpaper or scrapes of paper.
I learned to
make paper beads a few years ago and till this day I still enjoy making them.
I enjoy
teaching children how to make them even more. These beads are not only easy to
make but it is great activity to teach children about recycling.
Supplies:
Step 1:
Decide on
your bead design and draw the pattern on your paper.
For this example
I chose a long isosceles triangle. (But you can choose you own design)
Using a
ruling I placed dots 2 cm apart on both side of the page. With a pencil &
ruler I connected the first dot at the top of the page to the 2nd
dot at the bottom.
Then, I
connect that dot at the bottom of the page to the next dot at the top of the
page. I continue this way until I had as many isosceles triangles as I wanted.
Step 2:
Cut your
stripes
Step 3:
Starting at
the wide edge of the strip, roll your strip around your straw or cocktail
stick.
Step 4:
Place a bit
of glue on the last 2 inches of the strip & continue to roll.
Step 5:
Place your
beads somewhere to dry. When your beads are dry, you can apply a clear nail
polish to seal your beads.
