Recycled paper beads in a necklace

I have made paper beads with a recycled newspaper and some glue mixed in. This is a easy fun project that you can do without any preparation. Just put some stripes of newspaper in a pot of water and wait until the newspaper starts to dissolve. Then mix in the glue and start rolling beads!

It was the painting part that took time, but it was fun though. I painted my beads with acrylic paint where the gold color kind of shines through in the wrinkles. One some I painted dots and on others I added glitter! I couldn’t shape them too well because the “clay” turned out rather bulky. I think maybe next time I try I will let the mixer separate the paper a bit too. It’s not a clay to make difficult shapes in either. The fibers from the paper makes detailed work almost impossible, and that’s true for the ordinary paper clay (bought in a craft store) too.

Then I drilled holes in all the beads after they had dried thoroughly for a few days.

I have stringed the turquoise paper beads to a piece of beautiful ribbon, but I don’t know if will ever wear it in public. Would you? One one level I think it looks cool and very artistic, on another level I see it with the viewers eye and discard it as a bit… strange? crazy?

I still have pink beads left and I have to decide what to do with them. Don’t you think they look like candy? I could use them in a wall hanging piece or as decoration on some project or other - if not for jewelery.

My inspiration
How to make paper beads, a tutorial found on the great blog A storybook life. I also made a tiny heart that is still unpainted if you want to see how that look.

http://www.ihanna.nu/blog/?p=786