Craft Ideas

How to make Beads out of Paper

Each of these many colored beads will surprise you because each is different. String them together to make one-of-a-kind necklaces and bracelets. To fill your jewellery box or surprise someone: The materials you will need are: Typing paper: lightweight cardboard: transparent tape: strong thread: pictures from old magazines. Tools need: ruler: pencil: scissors: needle: and round toothpick.

Fold up 1 inch at the bottom of a sheet of typing paper. On the folded part, mark off ½ inch on the short edge and 5 ½ inches on the long edge. Draw a line joining the two marks.

Cut out along the pencil line. Unfold. This triangle will be the pattern for one set of beads. To make the pattern easier to use, tape it to a piece of lightweight cardboard and cut out the cardboard.

Now fold up 1 inch at the other end of the sheet of paper. On the folded part, mark off ¼ inch on the short edge and 7 ¼ inches on the long edge. Join the two marks, cut out along the line, and unfold. This triangle will be the pattern for a second set of beads. Tape it to a piece of cardboard and cut out.

For a necklace, put a length of thread around your neck and cut the thread off when it is as long as you want your necklace to be. Then thread it through a needle.

Pick some colourful pictures in an old magazine. Magazines with glossy paper are best. What the pictures show doesn’t matter.

Put one of your triangle patterns on a picture, draw around it, can cut the triangle out.

Lay a round toothpick on the back side of the picture triangle, across the wide end. Roll the triangle up around the tooth-pick. Roll straight so that the two sides taper evenly. This makes a bead.

Tape the loose end to keep the bead from unrolling. Remove the toothpick and run the needle through the hole to thread the bead.

Repeat, using the other triangle pattern, to make a differently shaped bead. Keep changing the triangle patterns until your necklace is completely threaded with beads. Then tie the ends together.

You can make differently shaped beads by changing the size of the triangle pattern Experiment until you find some new shapes you like.

You can make bracelets instead of necklaces by stringing the beads on shorter threads.

Food Coloring Fireworks

• newspapers
• white paper or construction paper
• food coloring
• plastic drinking straw

Directions: 

Cover a work space with newspapers. 

Place white paper on the center of newspapers. 

Put a large drop of food coloring in the center of the white paper. 

Holding one end of the straw above the drop of food coloring, blow through the other end of the straw. 

How hard you blow determines how far and how fast the drop of coloring moves. 

After blowing the 1st drop of coloring as far you want, do the same with additional drops of color. 

Smelly Play Dough

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 tbsp. alum
• 2 pkgs. unsweetened Kool-Aid
• 3 tsp. vegetable oil
• 2 cups boiling water

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients then add oil and water. 

Stir quickly and mix well. 

Store in a cool place or refrigerate in an airtight container. 

Halloween Face Paint

• cornstarch
• food coloring (any color)
• crisco shortening

Directions:

Mix thoroughly together and paint face.

Scented Play-Dough

• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup salt
• 1/2 cup water

Directions:

Don’t let it get sticky. 

Add a few drops of flavored extract and a few drops of food coloring. 

Mix together in order.  Enjoy!