Sabtu, 01 September 2018

How To Design Interesting Paper Beads

By Brenda Howard


If you enjoy designing jewelry, or just need a new activity to share with your family, here is one really interesting and inexpensive thing to do. You probably already posses most of the materials needed for this interesting activity, and the results might be really impressive. Being creative is something that fills you with proud and joy, and it is also highly therapeutic.

You can use all types of materials, including clay, plastic, glass or stone, or even paper. The last one is really interesting, because it can also be considered as recycling. You probably have all sorts of magazines, paper bags and similar things you can use for making beautiful paper beads. So, here are some ideas you might use to start with.

Once you find the material you want to use, you will also need a pair of scissors, maybe a craft knife, varnish, glue, soft brushes for applying glue and varnish, ruler and, of course, some type of a mat you will cut on. As a rolling base, you may use knitting needles, bamboo sticks, or even special sticks designed especially for this purpose, it's up to you.

The basic principle is to cut one long triangle and roll it around the stick. The base of the triangle will be the width of your finished bead, and the longer the triangle is, the thicker your bead will be. Experiment with different lengths first, to get the idea. Once you choose the proper shape, start with your work.

Apply glue only on the inner side of the triangle, on the whole length or only on a few places. Thickly roll the triangle on the stick. Always put more glue on the end, to make sure the bead will stay firm. The type of glue is also up to you. Some materials work best with different types of glue, and paper napkins can be glued with the mixture of flour and water only.

Once you learn this basic shape, you may start experimenting with different shapes and lengths. For example, it is interesting to use two triangles, just partly overlapping, and roll them together. Or to use different types of materials together, in different colors. In any case, once the bead is done, leave it to dry before applying chosen varnish on it.

Grocery bags made of brown recycled paper are just great for this purpose. The beads will appear wooden, and have sort of vintage look. Wallpapers are also really good for this. But, any other type of paper will do. You could also buy special Chinese papers designed especially for this purpose, called Washi or Chiyogami.

Finally, you could decorate not only finished beads, but also the paper used for making them. Use your imagination, colors, nail polishes, wool, fabric or whatever you want, to make really interesting beads to be proud of. When you paint on your basic material, you should apply color on the outer edges, because they will be actually visible in the end. This activity is, of course, really addictive, and all members of your family may join. Your children will also be quite enthusiastic about it.




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