Making Beautiful Jewelry From Paper

Though it may seem like an odd choice of crafting material for jewelry, paper of many kinds can be made into beautiful, interesting and durable jewelry designs using a number of different techniques. Use just one type of paper jewelry craft on its own, or combine several for unique, thrifty and lightweight jewelry creations.

Things You'll Need

• Paper (various kinds)
• Scissors
• Toothpick or thick needle
• Acrylic paint
• Markers
• White craft glue or glue stick
• Air-dry modeling clay or dough
• Jewelry wire
• Craft waterproofing sealant

Instructions

Beads

1. Choose or decorate some paper. Use magazine or colored newsprint pages, decorative paper (like wrapping or scrapbook paper), or colored paper of any kind adorned with paint, marker or crayon designs.

2. Cut the paper into triangular strips. Create tall, thin equilateral triangles. The bead will be as wide as the base of the triangle. The taller the triangle is, the thicker the bead will be.

3. Apply glue to the underside of the paper. Coat this side fully but thinly, except for about a quarter-inch strip at the bottom.

4. Roll the beads from the large end to the small end. Wrap the paper around a toothpick or needle, rolling up the glue side. Remove the toothpick or needle to leave the center hollow.

5. Allow the beads to dry and string them into jewelry.

Pendants

1. Print, draw or paint a pendant design on paper. Photographs make excellent keepsake pendants, but you can use any image that can be contained in a shape smaller than the palm of your hand, perhaps framed by a rectangle or oval.

2. Cut out the design. Trim carefully and be sure not to leave any rough or uneven edges. If your image has a dark border, cut slightly into the border to avoid leaving any white around the outside.

3. Punch a hole in the top of the pendant. Use a hole punch to get the most even-looking hole.

4. Apply sealant. Paint the front, let it dry fully, then paint the back. Use several thick coats in order to make a sturdy pendant.

Papier Mache

1. Mix papier-mache paste. Mix a solution of either four parts hot water to one part flour, or one part white craft glue to one part water.

2. Shape clay into a pendant mold. Use plasticine, air-dry clay, modeling dough or any other clay you aren't afraid to dispose of (consider Model Magic if you want something lightweight). Make the mold into the shape you want your pendant to be, but make it about two-thirds the size you want the finished product to be.

3. Coat the clay in papier-mache. Tear tiny strips of newspaper, soak them in paste and coat the outside of the clay. Use at least four full layers.

4. Add a hanging wire. Twist jewelry wire into a loop and poke this through the papier mache while it's still wet.

5. Allow the pendant to dry fully. This will take at least 24 hours.

6. Paint the pendant. Use acrylic paint to give it any colors and design you like.