Monday, July 11, 2011

How to: Beads out of Paper Mache -- Type 1



Ingredients:
Un-glossed Paper
A Pot
Some Water
A Spoon
A Bowl
Elmer's Glue
Wooden Skewers
Sandpaper -- Medium to Fine Grit
Acrylic Paint & a Paint Brush
Clear Varnish or Clear Nailpolish



Step 1:  Shred your paper.  Smaller pieces make smoother beads.
Step 2:  Boil Some water in the pot.  You'll want about a 3:1 ratio.  So, if you have one cup of paper, use three cups of water.
Step 3:  Once the water is boiling, add the paper.  Stir constantly.  You wouldn't want your paper to burn to the bottom of your pot!
Step 4:  After about two minutes, turn off the heat, but keep stirring.  Stir for about another three to five minutes or so.  You want your paper mache to break down as much as you can before you get tired.
Step 5:  Drain off as much water as you can.
Step 6:  Time to transfer it to the bowl!  As your transferring your wet paper mess, squeeze as much water out of it as you can with your hands.
Step 7:  Add glue to your paper.  You want enough glue to make your paper want to take a shape, but not so much that it'll be so wet that it will just fall apart. 
Step 8:  Form your beads.  You can roll them into balls with your hands, or press them into a chocolate candy mold to make pendants <if you do this you'll need a drill to put the holes in>.
Step 9:  Set beads aside to dry for about 30 mins.  This will allow them to hold their shape once you put them on the skewers.
Step 10:  After they've had time to set, skewer them with the wooden skewers.  Leave the beads on the skewers to dry the rest of the way.  You may need to re-shape them a little, but it should be fine.
Step 11:  Find a place where they can dry suspended in the air somehow.  I like to open up a drawer and set the skewers across it.  <Just make sure no one closes the drawer>  This will make it so that they won't have a flat part.  If you can't find a place to set them, it's fine.  Just put them on some wax paper, shiny side up.
Step 12:  Dry Overnight.  For a variation, you can bake them on an un-greased cookie sheet at 200 degrees until they're dry <Usually about 30 minutes or so depending on how big you've made them>.  You'll know they're dry when they don't squish anymore <Just be careful not to ruin your beads>
Step 13:  Remove the beads from the skewers.
Step 14:  Sand like the dickens!  The heavier the grit, the more paper will be taken off at a time.  Fine grit will make them very smooth, but you have to sand for a very long time.
Step 15:  Paint!  You can immerse them in the paint to coat the entire bead very quickly, or you can use a brush to make little details.  Let them dry again.
 Step 16:  Cover with Varnish or Clear Nail Polish.  A spray varnish works very nicely in coating evenly, and making them look shiny.  If using a nail polish, paint until covered.  Is this really necessary?  YES!  It will make your beads mildly waterproof, more durable, and longer lasting.  Don't forget to varnish the hole also, if you can.  Let dry again.

TADA!  Ready to use, eco-friendly beads.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Making Jewelry Out of Junk

Using useless things that just lay around the house to make Jewelry is becoming increasingly popular these days.  Many people are making "Upcycled" Jewelry out of recycled metal, paper, bottle caps and other things.  Making Jewelry out of Junk is a way to stay stylish and environmentally friendly, which is important in this "Green" world of ours.  There are several artisans who will take old extension cords and use the old copper electrical wire from them to make beautiful wire-wrapped items.  Soda cans can be cut, or the pop tabs used to create pendants, chains, earrings, rings, and other jewelry items.  You know those annoying ads that you receive in the mail every Tuesday?  How about boiling those down to create paper-mache beads!  Or maybe you could cut them up and roll them into oblong paper beads.  Take those scrapbook paper remnants and make origami earrings out of them!  Or maybe you could string a bunch of bottle caps together to create a beautiful bracelet. The possibilities really are endless.  You can make something out of nothing!

Soda Pop Tab Ring

The ring pictured is of my own making.  It is made from upcycled soda tabs, a glass bead, and some silver-plated copper wire.  Easy Peasy!