How to Make Paper Beads From Magazines - Easy Recycled Craft

Steps

1. 1. Gather Paper, a Straw and Glue for Paper Beads

   You need very little. Grab some old magazines or coloured paper, a straw or a toothpick, and white PVA glue.

   Tip: Pour a little glue into a lid so you can reach it with one hand while the other holds the bead.

   

2. 2. Cut Long Thin Paper Triangles for the Beads

   Do not cut straight strips. A paper bead needs a long, thin triangle.

   Tip: Draw the lines with a ruler and pencil first if you want matching beads.

   

3. 3. Cut Several Paper Bead Strips at Once

   Each cut leaves the start of the next triangle, so keep going across the page and you get several strips with little waste. Lay them out side by side.

   Tip: Cut a whole page at once. It is quicker than stopping after every bead.

   

4. 4. Place the Wide End of the Paper Strip on the Straw

   Lay the wide end of a triangle flat against the straw, with the point of the triangle facing away from you. Keep the strip centred so the bead rolls up evenly.

   Tip: Keep the coloured side of the paper facing down if you want it on the outside of the bead.

   

5. 5. Roll the Paper Strip Tightly Into a Bead

   Start rolling the paper around the straw. Wrap it as tight as you can and keep the strip lined up so the point stays in the centre.

   Tip: Roll with your fingertips, not your palms. You get more control over the tension.

   

6. 6. Dab Glue on the Tip of the Paper Bead

   When there are only a couple of inches of the strip left, put a small dab of glue on the paper. Maggy keeps her glue bottle open beside her so she can reach it easily.

   Tip: A cotton bud spreads a small amount of glue more neatly than the bottle nozzle.

   

7. 7. Press the Paper Bead Tip Down and Let It Dry

   Roll the last bit of the strip on and press the tip down firmly with your finger. Hold it for a few seconds so it grips.

   Tip: Stand the straw in a cup while the beads dry so they do not roll away.

   

8. 8. Sort Your Magazine Paper Beads by Colour and String Them

   Magazine beads come out striped in the colours of the page you used. Maggy suggests cutting pages by colour so you can make pink beads, purple beads and so on, then sorting them into a colour scheme.

   Tip: Make a few extra. Paper beads are light, so a necklace needs more than you think.