How to Make Jewelry out of Gum Wrappers or Novelty Paper

GOING GREEN means saving trees and therefore cutting back on the precious commodity of paper. Finding sticks of gum that are wrapped both in foil, and in the individual wrappers needed for this project, is going to be a difficult task. However, don’t despair if you cannot locate those needed gum wrappers, as substituting with any bright, recycled, paper can make for beautiful bracelets, anklets and necklaces alike. Read on to learn how to make these items either from wrappers, old gift wrap, or any decorative or colored paper you may already have handy.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• • Long Stick Gum wrappers or decorative paper
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Paper Cutter or Scissors
• Glue or Velcro

1. 
    
   Favorite Gum Brands

   When you open your new packs of gum, most just have thin foil wrapped around the actual sticks. These are too flimsy and soft to hold up well for the following process. However, should you be lucky enough to find some in paper wrappers, gather these up to begin making your jewelry. Carefully separate the glued seams along the backs of these open ended wrapper sleeves and lay them flat. Fold the wrapper lengthwise and sharply crease said fold with your fingernail or the side of a pencil. Cut or tear along this lengthwise line. You now have two lengthwise pieces of the same size as all of the pieces used need to be uniform. Please keep in mind, you will be doing a lot of folding, unfolding, then refolding to establish the needed creases and guidelines.

2. 
    
   Folding the Wrappers or Paper Sections Lengthwise

   Decorative paper is being illustrated here for demonstrative purposes. Fold the halved wrappers lengthwise again, creasing well with your fingernail, a pencil or a ruler. Unfold. Now, taking the outside lengthwise edge again, fold to touch to the center line you created per the beginning of this paragraph. Do the same thing again with the other lengthwise edge, also folding it to meet in the middle. Refold this section in half along that creased line you made at the beginning of Step Two. You will have a folded lengthwise piece that will look rolled into itself neatly and evenly. At this time, you can help to sharply crease these folds by running the thin edge of a ruler down the length of this long, folded section.

3. 
    
   Folding the Lengths End to End to Form the Link Sections

   Now, take these folded strips and fold them all in half, end to end, creasing them by adding pressure. Unfold and fold one end, again towards the center line that you just creased. Repeat with the other end. Meet both of these folded ends now in the middle, creasing in the center once more as done at the beginning of step three. You have now completed the folding process for one strip!

4. 
    
   Strips of 2

   Repeat Steps One through Three with the rest of your remaining wrappers. If you cannot find any gum wrappers to create your accessories with, cut out strips of paper you have measured evenly from one or even two sided gift wrap, wrapping the two sided paper to expose an equal combination of the two designs.
   
   Use a paper cutter to quickly make clean cuts, or cut sections out carefully with scissors. Always take care in cutting and folding your strips so that you have an even chain and one that is easier to work with when linking. Slightly crumpled, used paper, or not so perfect cut lines will usually be masked and ironed out during the construction process. Different size sections may be experimented with to create unique patterns. The links should fit uniformly and snug to make a strong, even chain.
   
   Here, leftover wrapping paper was measured into 2” x 4 ½” strips to make the featured bracelet. A necklace would look daintier being crafted in 1 ½” x 3” sections which is more comparable to the size of the gum wrappers.

5. 
    
   Viewing the Single Fold and the Double Fold

   NOTE: It is advised to always feed a paper link through the clean folded side of the link you are hooking into. Look at this picture. The top folded link has two folds (double fold) which you will probably get stuck in if you attempt to link through this way. The paper link on the bottom shows the side with only one fold (single fold), giving you a clear pathway to feed through. Therefore, you should always work through the single folded sides.

6. 
    
   Adding Links to the Chain

   You will want to link in the following manner to make the construction of the chain faster, easier and more fun.
   
   
   
   1. This first step, along with the last step, are done differently than the rest of the project. To begin, link the beginning two chain links by inserting the second link, with the single fold side facing UP, into the first one
   
   2. Next, with its single folded side facing down, insert the third paper link into the bottom (2nd) paper link that has its single fold side already facing up.
   
   3. Now, turn the chain over so that the last inserted paper link has its single fold facing up.
   
   4. It is easier to feed the next link if you insert your fingernail or other pointed object (not too sharp or it may cut the paper) into this single fold to open it up before hooking in the next paper link. Also, make sure the previous paper link is pulled snugly to allow room for the next folded link.
   
   5. Insert next folded paper link with its single fold side facing down.
   
   6. Keep linking your folded links, back and forth in a zigzag manner, by repeating Steps 3, 4 and 5.

7. 
    
   Bringing Your Accessories FULL CIRCLE

   Continue until an even number of folded sections has been linked to enable you to connect them end to end. The chain will be easy to connect and reconnect. However, since this can wear out the ends or cause you to easily lose the piece, there are ways to help the ends stay together better.

8. 
    
   Make Your Chain the Length Desired for Your Project

   Unfold the ends of the LAST link and feed through the opposite end. Now refold the ends, wrapping them carefully around, then tucking them in to help reinforce the lock. If the finished jewelry is long enough to slide over your hand or head, you may want to consider gluing them for a permanent hold.
   
   
   
   To achieve the right size, continue to increase the length of your chain until it is a minimum of 30” in length for a necklace or 10” to 12” for a bracelet. These lengths will allow access for anyone to wear these paper accents easily. Yet the necklaces can be whatever length you desire, from a choker (see "Tips" for connecting) to one that is wrapped in multiple layers.

Tips & Warnings

• • People have used many other paper materials to make interesting patterns for jewelry, purses, art, etc. Wrappers from bubble gum and certain brand named candies are being substituted for that trendy, traditional look since gum wrappers are scarce these days. Anytime one can recycle products they use a lot of, is always a great idea. Gluing dots of Velcro to the bracelets, chokers, and anklets allows you to wear and remove them much easier. The bracelet can be sprayed with clear polyurethane paint for a harder, water resistant finish to resemble an authentic bangle bracelet. Notice that a chain made with decorative, or even plain, or colored paper can be great accents for picture frames, table and shelving edges, or anything else your imagination and glue can be applied to.
• • If you find gum with wrappers, get friends and family to help you collect them. Although sugarless gum is better for your teeth, chewing all that gum yourself could be hazardous to your health

[goldiec]

on 10/21/2009 Thanks for the great tips on How to Make Jewelry out of Gum Wrappers or Novelty Paper! 5*

[patie]

on 7/3/2009 cute idea. How clever