djen
1-4-11, 6:36pm
Someone started a thread on making paper beads at the old forums, probably at least a year ago (if not more.)
I wanted to continue it here, because I've been having so much fun making them! It started me on rescuing Nat Geos!
My local thrift store sells National Geographic magazines for $0.10 each, so I buy as many as I find. It's an absolute blast reading through them and looking at the old ads. And it's so interesting how many articles are just as relevant today as they were 20 years ago (drought in Africa, disappearing species in the rainforest, etc.)
Once they've sat in the bathroom for a while and everyone's read through them (that's where I put things to be sure they'll get read) we stick them in the craft bin and make paper beads, envelopes or bookmarks out of them!
Here's an easy method of making paper beads: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Paper-Beads
There are a ton of other directions out there under "how to paper beads" or "diy paper beads."
I ended up using a paper cutter and fiddling to find the size I liked best, and the size tool I liked to wrap around. I like tacky glue because it holds fast.
We use the beads for Christmas tree decorations and other stuff. :)
Envelopes are fun, too! The US postal service takes them as long as they're large enough, (3.5" x 5" is the smallest they can be) and you may have to add labels to make the addresses visible. There are tons of envelope templates out there.
I like the template here for envelopes: http://familycrafts.about.com/od/creativepaper/ss/Blank_Envelope_Template.htm You have to scroll down a bit to where it says "Download PDF File" and click there. That template will hang over the sides of a Nat Geo Page a bit, but will still give you enough room to glue it shut.
Just leave the flap open and seal it with tape or stickers when you're ready to mail it.
There are templates out there for CD envelopes, too, which I've used when I burn a CD as a gift. When you have a zillion Nat Geos around, you always have the raw materials you need for a project!
Anyway, I thought I'd put this here in case anyone else can use it. My girls (15, 13 and 13) love to make these with me, and we send out a lot of snail mail now that we have fun envelopes. We get lots of comments on it, too, which makes the girls want to send out more!
So, thanks to whomever posted about the paper beads originally, you've sent us on quite an adventure!
I wanted to continue it here, because I've been having so much fun making them! It started me on rescuing Nat Geos!
My local thrift store sells National Geographic magazines for $0.10 each, so I buy as many as I find. It's an absolute blast reading through them and looking at the old ads. And it's so interesting how many articles are just as relevant today as they were 20 years ago (drought in Africa, disappearing species in the rainforest, etc.)
Once they've sat in the bathroom for a while and everyone's read through them (that's where I put things to be sure they'll get read) we stick them in the craft bin and make paper beads, envelopes or bookmarks out of them!
Here's an easy method of making paper beads: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Paper-Beads
There are a ton of other directions out there under "how to paper beads" or "diy paper beads."
I ended up using a paper cutter and fiddling to find the size I liked best, and the size tool I liked to wrap around. I like tacky glue because it holds fast.
We use the beads for Christmas tree decorations and other stuff. :)
Envelopes are fun, too! The US postal service takes them as long as they're large enough, (3.5" x 5" is the smallest they can be) and you may have to add labels to make the addresses visible. There are tons of envelope templates out there.
I like the template here for envelopes: http://familycrafts.about.com/od/creativepaper/ss/Blank_Envelope_Template.htm You have to scroll down a bit to where it says "Download PDF File" and click there. That template will hang over the sides of a Nat Geo Page a bit, but will still give you enough room to glue it shut.
Just leave the flap open and seal it with tape or stickers when you're ready to mail it.
There are templates out there for CD envelopes, too, which I've used when I burn a CD as a gift. When you have a zillion Nat Geos around, you always have the raw materials you need for a project!
Anyway, I thought I'd put this here in case anyone else can use it. My girls (15, 13 and 13) love to make these with me, and we send out a lot of snail mail now that we have fun envelopes. We get lots of comments on it, too, which makes the girls want to send out more!
So, thanks to whomever posted about the paper beads originally, you've sent us on quite an adventure!