Mod Podge....

A while back I went through a decoupage phase in my life... I was decoupaging everything that didn't move. I literally had a friend of mine tell me that I was going a little overboard with the decoupage (yeah- like that could happen!) - so between that and my short craft attention span...look there's a squirrel....a few weeks later I was onto a new favorite type of craft.

However, yesterday I found a great blog called Mod Podge Rocks ~ check it out! http://www.modpodgerocks.blogspot.com The ideas on there truly rock!... I am in love with the decoupaged pink rabbit! I think today I am going to break out the paper and the Mod Podge... I'll post some pics of my craftiness later...

How to Make Recycled Paper Beads

I love making craft projects out of materials that I would normally just throw away....makes me feel warm and fuzzy ~ my little contribution to saving the world.

Lately my focus has been on jewelery. I have been making lots of recycled paper beads to add to my handmade necklaces and bracelets. It is simple and cheap...my two favorite things! You can use any type of paper you have lying at home ~ I like to use junk mail, scraps of construction paper from my kiddos crafts, used wrapping paper, and newspaper.



When you start your recycled bead project you will want to tear up your paper into small pieces. I have used scraps of construction paper here. Your bead color is dependant on what color of paper you choose...so keep that in mind as you are finding scraps. You may want to tear and sort into piles so that the colors are consistent. I have added several colors to mine, although the predominant paper color is red ~ so my beads will turn out to be a reddish color with some hints of other colors mixed through out.

Next you will want to soak your paper in hot water. I like to put my paper into a microwave-safe container with some water and microwave it until it comes to a boil. Then I stir the mixture up a bit and put it in my blender. (If you don't want to use your good blender...'cause you need it for your Mommy Margarita Nights...go to your local Goodwill store ~ you can usually find one there for a couple of bucks) I like to puree it for about 20 seconds. You have now successfully turned your paper scraps into a paper pulp mixture!

(And yes, just in case you are wondering...that is my kitchen...I prefer to cook at that one...I tend burn less in that oven.)

Now you will want to pour your paper pulp mixture into a mesh strainer. Take your fingers and push the paper pulp against the strainer to get all the water completely out.

Now put your paper pulp into a clean bowl and add some glue. I use cheap white school glue. Use your hands and mash the pulp and the glue together... reminds me of making meatloaf :o) The amount of glue you will need is dependant on the amount of paper pulp you have. You will need to experiment with this. You want glue throughout the paper pulp mixture, so it all feels a little sticky ~ it should not be soupy!!!

After your paper pulp has been thoroughly mixed with glue, you are ready to make your beads. All you need to do is get a small amount of the mixture and roll it into a ball ~ you can make small or large beads depending on how much you roll.

I prefer large chunky beads!!! If it ain't chunky ~ it ain't funky! :o)

After you have all your beads rolled out you will want to let them dry on some wax paper. Depending on the size of the beads you made the drying process could take anywhere from a couple days to a week.

After the beads are completely dried you can drill a hole in them. After the hole has been drilled all the way through you are ready to put your beads on some string!!!

Hope you have fun making your recycled paper beads!!!

Good luck!!!!

I don't think I am a complete idiot...

I don't think of myself as the smartest person in the world...however I don't think that I am a complete idiot either. SO ~ why is it I can't figure out this whole blog thing. I have been trying to figure out how to make changes to my background, text, banner, ect. ~ even found a great little website that has free blog backgrounds ~ CUTEST BLOG ON THE BLOCK ~ followed the directions ~ and yes I did save the changes (again - I am not a complete idiot) but for some unknown reason everything keeps reverting back to the original format... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!
Perhaps it is time for me to call in the experts....my 3 and 6 year old seem to be pretty computer savvy....maybe they can fix it for me....