How to Make Handmade Christmas Beads from Paper

For a handmade Christmas gift that is both free and one-of-a-kind, why not string together a necklace of handmade beads? This unusual art form uses scraps of paper to create lovely beads that are bright and colorful, and surprisingly durable.

Making your own paper Christmas beads is an inexpensive alternative to purchasing beads from a craft store. Any type of paper will do; however the best kind of paper to make beads with are the more heavier grades. Calendar pages, greeting cards, scraps of wallpaper, construction paper, and even gift wrap will all work to create dazzling beads.

For Christmas beads, using Christmas themed papers will result in an array of traditional colors, such as red, greens, and golds. We save old greeting cards for this use, along with recycled gift wrap, last year's calendar pages, and even foil gift bags.

Making necklace beads

To make the Christmas beads shown in the photograph, all the supplies that will be needed are paper scraps, a small wooden skewer (such as for shish kabobs), a hot glue gun and twine for stringing.

Step 1 Begin by cut the different papers into long triangle shapes. For thicker grades of paper, cutting a triangle 6 inches in length is about the right size. For thinner papers, such as gift wrap or colored computer, the triangle should be cut to a length of 12 inches to give the bead some substance. The base of the triangle determines the overall width of the bead. Anywhere from 1/4 inch to 3/4 inch in width is a nice size. One the papers have been cut, you can begin making the beads.

Step 2 Begin by grabbing a single triangle of paper, and wrap the base of the paper around the skewer. Roll the paper as you would a crescent roll, keeping the paper reasonably centered. You might wish to refer to picture #2 to visualize how the paper is rolled.

Step 3 Once the paper is completely rolled, drop a dab of hot glue onto the "point" and glue into place to create a sturdy bead. Remove from the skewer, and remove any loose glue tendrils. Repeat this process until you have enough Christmas beads to string a necklace or two.

Once you have created a collection of different colored Christmas beads, string them together on a long piece of twine. Tie a knot to close the necklace, trimming off excess twine. To add some variety to our necklace, we included some wooden & glass beads from a broken bracelet and beads rolled from recycled foil gift bags.

A handmade Christmas necklace doesn't have to cost a lot of money. All it really takes is a little time, a little paper, and lots of imagination to create an unusual and one-of-a-kind work of art.