Magazine Beads

Time for a new craft blog! 

I've had lots of time to sort through old pictures, notes, and memories, and remembered doing a cool craft at Echo Valley '88 (International Girl Guide Camp I attended as a teen).

We made beads using magazines, nail polish, and a stick.  It was messy, quiet, interesting, and memorable.  Perfect for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts!   

Step One: Gather the Supplies.

• Magazines
• clear or light coloured nail polish.  I really liked using glitter polish for some extra sparkle
• Bamboo skewer (found in grocery stores)
• Glue stick (not pictured)
• Scissors (not pictured)
• Bead String (not pictured)

Step Two:  rip out pages with colours that you like

Step Three:  Cut them into strips.  

The idea here is to make long strips (the length of the page) that start off wide - about 1.5 cm wide - and end in a narrow tip. 

Step Four: Start rollin' (and gluing)

Take one strip and roll it around the stick a few times.  Make it snug but not too tight that you won't be able to get it off the stick.  Once you have the base wrapped around, swipe the rest of the strip over the top of the glue stick.  This will help the bead stay together.  You can make these without this step but it's frustrating.  Not recommended.

Roll

Glue (sorry, it's blurry. It's hard to glue, hold, and take a picture. )

Step Five: seal with nail polish.  

You have wound the strip all the way around the stick, coat it generously with the nail polish.  This helps stick the bead together and seal it.  Let it dry on the stick and then slide it off. 

Step Six: Make something! 

 

This craft ties in really nicely with the Girl Guides of Canada "Operation Earth Action" National Service Project - aimed at reducing our environmental foot print.  I think most families have a magazine or two  around that can be used to supply the paper for the beads, as well the nail polish, and all other supplies are things we all have on hand.  

Be sure to recycle any left over magazines and scraps afterwards! 

This craft does take some hand eye coordination and patience, I would recomend it for Pathfinders and Rangers (12-18) or really craft 3rd year Guides (11/12 year olds).  It also takes several hours to make a lot of beads so it would be a great craft to do over several meetings or at a sleepover or weekend camp.