Did you make paper beads from magazines and glue when you were a kid? Do you have a soft spot in your heart for these easy beads in polymer?
Margit Boehmer recently rolled these lovely chalked and textured versions. You can see her latest ones here and buy them on Etsy.
I dug out Dayle Doroshow’s versions from 2011 for you to examine too. Dayle used her scraps, flattening the rolls with stamps as a last step and then adding a contrasting color wash.
All that you need are tall triangles of flattened polymer. Wind each triangle up from wide to narrow around a rod.
Paper beads in polymer are easy and great for holiday projects, no matter how you roll.
Jeannie Havel ,
I’d like to add Judy Belcher to the list of polymer paper bead makers. On the cover of her book, “Polymer Clay Creative Techniques” (Watson-Guptill 2006), Judy’s beads are exquisitely set off by gold ink along the edges. This gives the beads a sophisticated “oomph” taking a simple design — adding inspiration from the decorative arts of years gone by — and elevates it to a masterpiece.
Jeannie Havel ,
Correction: Judy’s book title is “Polymer Clay Creative Traditions: Techniques and Projects Inspired by the Fine and Decorative Arts.”
Cynthia ,
Thanks, Jeannie. And Rebecca Watkins puts three paper beads together for another effect. She shows how on Flickr, here – https://www.flickr.com/photos/artybecca/sets/72157625915602406/
(It looks like I haven’t fixed my “like” tally…try again)
Caren Goodrich ,
Wow are these great! Love the shapes and colors! Roll on!