Let's Reuse - Paperbeads

Have you ever asked yourself what to do with all these advertising brochures which come through your letterbox? Quite often they have a good size, nice colours and the paper might have an appealing texture. With Vicki's new challenge at the Cheerful Stamp Pad: Let's Reuse I decided it was time to do something with these brochures which are sort of piling up in my crafty corner.

I started to cut one of the brochures in triangles - very long and pinty but very slim to make paperbeads. I would have never imagined this to be so much fun and thought I make a little tutorial to share it with everybody:
1 It all starts with long pointy thin paper triangles

2 Take one of them and find something round like a knitting needle (just make sure that it is thick enough to leave a nicely sized hole in the middle of your beads) and begin rolling the paper around the needle starting on the wide end. Roll it as tighly as possible and as regular as you wish - paper is amazingly flexible and don't worry if it gets ripped in the process, just add it on maybe securing it with a little dab of glue

3 I only add some glue to the paper when 3 to 5 cm of the paper left, continue to roll. Don't worry if some glue squidges out on the sides just continue with the rolling

4 Once you have finished give the glue a few seconds to settle and then the bead of the needle

5 What to do now with such lovely beads? For stability and to smooth the surface I covered some with Modge Podge and some with glossy accents. Of course, you could also paint them with acrylic paint, roll them in Versamark ink and emboss them with UTEE, ..... and turn them into wonderful embellishments, charms, .....

Of course, you can give the beads different shapes, sizes and uses. Just have a play, it is so much fun but be aware ... it is addictive as well! Hope to see you over at the Cheerful Stamp Pad, Petra.