Turn brown paper bags or packaging paper into gorgeous jewelry beads. Make flat or sculpted beads using everyday household items. The best glue for the brown paper bag beads is Mod Podge but white glue also works. It takes longer for the white glue to dry and does not leave as shiny of a surface on the homemade beads.
Things You’ll Need:
Brown paper bags or packaging paper
Scissors
Newspaper
Metallic acrylic paint
Flat artist paintbrush
Mod Podge
Quilter’s rotary cutter
Rotary cutting mat
Quilting ruler
Waxed paper
Wooden skewer
Instructions:
Step 1 – Cut the edges on the brown paper bag to create a large sheet.
Step 2 – Place the sheet of brown paper on a newspaper covered surface. Paint the surface of the brown paper with metallic acrylic paint. Allow the paint to dry completely before continuing.
Step 3 – Apply a layer of Mod Podge to the painted surface. Allow the Mod Podge to dry completely before continuing. Note: The Mod Podge will go on a milky white color and dry clear. The same color change will happen if using white glue.
Step 4 – Place the painted brown paper on a rotary cutting mat. Line up the edge of the quilting ruler to the edge of the paper to create a minimum of a 1/8-inch strip. Keep the top edge of the ruler at 1/8-inch. Move the bottom edge of the ruler to line up with the edge of the paper to create a tapered strip.
Step 5 – Cut along the edge of the quilting ruler with a rotary cutter. Note: The width of the strip is determined by the length of the desired bead. Change the width accordingly.
Step 6 – Place the cut strip on a piece of wax paper so the back side is up.
Step 7 – Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to the paper strip starting between 1/8 and ¼-inch from the wide end of the strip.
Step 8 – Starting with the unglued portion of the strip. Wrap the strip around the center of the wooden skewer making sure the paper wraps on top of itself. Hold the end in place for 30 seconds.
Step 9 – Remove the bead from the skewer. Repeat Steps 6 through 8 to complete multiple beads.
Mod Podge and glue several layers of brown paper together to make a flat bead. Stack the Mod Podged paper together until they are half the depth of the desired bead. Paint a layer of Mod Podge over the paper surface except for the area where you want the hole. Place the skewer across this area. Press layers of brown paper on top of the skewer. Apply Mod Podge between each layer and let it dry. After the Mod Podge is completely dry, apply a coat of metallic acrylic paint over the top, back and sides of the bead. Allow the metallic paint to dry complete. Apply a coat of Modge Podge and let dry. Remove the skewer to create a string-able flat bead.