The glossy bright pages of a magazine serve as a recyclable resource that can be used for collages, book covers or homemade jewelry. A single magazine can provide a variety of beads shapes and sizes for children to decorate with. With the beads and some clear string, girls can create bracelets for themselves, friends or family members. The process is mess free and an environmentally friendly craft project.
Material
Gather a collection of old magazines. Use magazines with full colored glossy pages like US Weekly. Home design and decor magazines will provide a variety of colors and patterns for the beads. You also need scissors, a glue stick, some cotton swabs, a small paint brush and a bottle of Mod Podge. Some wax paper or extra pages of the magazine will protect the table surface.
Set Up
Cut out magazine pages into small triangles with a 1 inch base and a height ranging from 2 to 8 inches. If you want all the beads to be the same size, match the original triangle size and use it as a template. Set the triangle cut-outs into different piles that showcase the size and color options. Pull the cotton off of several cotton swabs so you can use them as sticks to shape the beads.
Bead Creation
Line up the base of the bead with the cotton swab stick. Press it tightly into the stick and then wrap it around. Pull tightly and continue to wrap so that the magazine forms tightly in a circle. Continue this until you reach the tip of the cut out. Dab a little of the glue stick on the tipped edge and press it down tightly. Let the bead dry for a few minutes and then carefully slide it off the cotton swab. Brush on a light layer of the Mod Podge and let the bead sit. Repeat this for each bead until you have completed all of them.
Vertical Thick Bracelet
Slip the string through a bead and tie off the end so it will not slip. Pull the loose end from the top of the first bead and then string it up through the bottom of the second bead. String it through the top of the third bead and pull tightly so the three beads push together. You will see the bracelet form. Continue the top and bottom pattern until the string is filled. Measure the bracelet over the wrist to see if you have too many or too little beads. Adjust as needed and then tie the ends together.
Horizontal Thin Bracelet
Tie the end of the string. Slip the beads on one after another. Use a colored pattern to add to the bracelet look. Measure the bracelet on a wrist to make sure you have enough beads attached. Tie the ends together to complete the bracelet. With this design you can use different sized beads a lot easier and add to the patterned design.
Sources
Family Fun: Magazine Bead Bracelet: http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/magazine-bead-bracelet-674437/
Family Fun: Recycled Paper Beads: http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/recycled-paper-beads-1004049/
Plaid Online: Mod Podge: http://www.plaidonline.com/mod-podge/brand/home.htm
