Supplies:

-Crafting glue
-Petroleum jelly
-Damp rag
-Decorative paper
-Acrylic paints
-Wire or necklace string
-Glaze
-Floral Foam
-Toothpicks

1. Gather the following: Crafting glue, petroleum jelly, damp rag, decorative paper, acrylic paints, wire or necklace string, glaze, floral foam, toothpicks.

2. Slice your decorative paper into 2-inch thick 11-inch long triangular strips. Each of these will become a bead, so cut as many as you want. Once you have all your strips ready, carefully slice off just the pointy tip of each piece.

3. Okay, things are about to get messy. Dip your fingers in crafting glue, and then cover each piece of paper with the glue generously. Working quickly so the glue doesn’t dry, wipe your hands clean with your damp rag.

4. Dip one end of a toothpick in your petroleum jelly, this sounds strange but works great for preventing the glue from sticking permanently to the wood of the toothpick. Starting at the fat end of your piece of paper, tightly twirl the paper around the toothpick. The glue should hold it in shape, but if it starts to unwind, smother the outer layer with more glue and hold it in place! Once it holds its shape, use the floral foam to position the toothpicks so that your beads can dry. Make sure your beads are 100% dry before moving on the next step.

5. Now it’s time to add the finishing touches. Wipe out the acrylic paints and a few brushes, and then add your own designs on the handmade beads. Let your designs dry completely before coating each bead with glaze. You now have a fresh batch of handmade beads for your jewelry collection!

Thanks for reading, and remember to always buy handmade!

-Sara

www.artfire.com

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