Paper bead love

Colourful paper beads from The Paper Bead Boutique on Etsy

This crafting lark is all very well but its very distracting. I like so many different crafts I feel like a butterfly, fluttering between different projects, barely landing in any.

I am actually finishing a few things this week, which is a bit of a change. Including the fab Attic24 bower bird, which I can now see at as I sit in the lounge in the evening, when I’m doing more crochet. Its so nice to have something that you have made yourself that is unique and that looks good. I feel I made real progress with my crochet in that project, but it was tough going at times. Worth it though, every minute of the effort.

But I can’t be content with just finishing stuff, my inner butterfly is demanding I play with my new paper beads that I got from the USA. A lovely lady called Shannon who runs the Etsy shop The Paper Bead Boutique sent me my order of some fabulous handmade paper beads last week, together with a tool so that I can make my own more successfully.

Aren’t these beads gorgeous!

Wonderful paper beads from Shannon
Wonderful paper beads from Shannon
Gorgeous paisley and blue paper beads
Gorgeous paisley and blue paper beads
Colourful paper beads from The Paper Bead Boutique on Etsy
Colourful paper beads from The Paper Bead Boutique on Etsy

I also ordered and received this fab tool, which I have yet to try out,

Paper bead making tool from The Paper Bead Boutique
Paper bead making tool from The Paper Bead Boutique

An experiment in making paper beads

I tried first of all using strips of paper and a knitting needle. I wrote up the method I used in a picture tutorial, not because I am an expert, but to remind myself of how to do it again. It might also be useful to someone else 🙂

It was much trickier than I thought – these were my first attempts. They’re not very good.

It was difficult to get them even.

Paper beads - my first attempt
Paper beads – my first attempts

With a bit more trial and error, I managed to make some longer ones, getting them even this time.

Two better paper beads
Two better paper beads

 

I decorated these as described in the tutorial, then made a pair of paper bead earrings.

The last step was to put them on a brass wire and then paint them gently with three coats of decoupage glaze. Nice and silver and shiny now. Here they are made up as a pair of earrings with sterling silver handmade earwires.
Paper bead earrings

One thought on “Paper bead love

  1. Shannon McCollum says:

    Your earrings are beautiful! I love the pics along the way! I am so glad you are happy with your beads!
    Thanks for the plug for The Paper Bead Boutique! Your happiness means a lot to me! Happy Beading!

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