Craft Project: Magazine Bead Jewelry

I have got lots of old magazines at home so I thought of making something out of them instead of throwing them away. I remember when I was in high school, one of my teachers taught us how to make accessories from magazines to add a little touch to our costume for the Panangbenga Flower Festival Street Dancing Parade.

Back then, we made it simple because we only wore it once, but now I add some things to it. I don't really know anything about jewelry making, but I learned the basics from YouTube. I am so satisfied with the outcome of my first jewelry project.

Approximate Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour

Supplies:

For making beads:

old glossy magazine
scissors
ruler
pencil
toothpick or blunt needle
glue
clear acrylic paint or nail polish

For the earrings:

2 headpins
2 eyepins
2 fish hook ear wires
8 small glass beads, 2 small magazine beads, 2 big magazine beads
wire cutters and chain nose pliers

For the bracelet and necklace:

magazine beads
thick cotton yarn (3 or 4 ply), elastic cord, or string wire
clasp
loops
blunt needle

Materials for making beads, magazine, glue, scissors, nail polish, etc.

Instructions:

Making the beads:
Note: If you want a longer size beads, make the base wider and if you want shorter beads, make the base narrower. If you want wider diameter size beads, use thicker paper magazine and vice versa.

thin strips of magazine cut into long skinny triangles

The appearance of the cut magazine should be triangular in shape. Measure the base for your desired size of beads and mark it with a pencil. Draw a line from that mark you made up to the tip of the magazine. Then cut.

Roll the cut magazine onto the toothpick or blunt needle from the base to the tip. Secure it with glue.

rolling magazine strip around a toothpick

Paint all the beads you made with clear acrylic paint or nail polish to make it shiny.

Caution: When using the nail polish, use a mask because the fumes are so strong.
*You can use any paint color you desire. I did not use colored paint on my beads because I used multicolored magazine pages and I liked it the way it is.

pliers and earring assembly laid out on a table

Earring assembly:
Lower part (make two)

Using headpin, string a small glass bead, small magazine bead, and then the other small glass bead.

headpin wire with small glass bead small magazine bead and another small glass bead

Use chain nose pliers to bend (90 degrees) the headpin wire just above the last bead.
Lay the bent wire parallel to your thumb nail, towards you.
Then use the chain nose pliers to roll the wire away from you to make a loop.

wire hook after bending loop in headpin wire

Don't close it completely yet until you have put/inserted the lower loop of the upper part of the earring you will make.

closeup attaching larger bead to hook on bead 1 with hook open

Upper part (make two)

Using eyepin, string small glass bead, big magazine bead, and then the other small glass bead.
Do the same procedure you did in lower part (step 2 and 3).

bead 1 attached to larger bead hook closed

Then insert the loop of your fish hook ear wire into the upper loop of the *upper part. Close loop. headpin wire inserted into ring on fish hook ear wire

headpin wire inserted into ring on fish hook ear wire

Bracelet assembly:

Measure your wrist so you'll know how long a piece of cotton yarn you need, but add an extra 1.5 to 2 inches on both ends before cutting. (You need the extra in tying a knot into the clasp and loop.)
String the beads.
Put clasp on one end and loop on one end. Tie a knot 3 to 4 times to make it stronger. Don't cut the excess yarn. Use blunt needle to hide it into the beads.

Necklace assembly:

Cut a piece of cotton yarn according to your desired necklace length. Add an extra 1.5 to 2 inches (same as in bracelet assembly).
Repeat steps 2 and 3 of bracelet assembly. I did a 24 inch necklace

complete set, necklace, bracelet, and two pairs of earrings

By Nelly from Estacada, OR

Related:
Making Paper Beads

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By 07/07/2011

Love your jewelry. I have lots of magazines and now i know what to do with them! Thanks for sharing. Dorothy

By 07/07/2011

Nicely done Nelly. I much prefer making my own beads to purchasing mass produced stuff. I make mine using dichroic glass with a micro kiln.

By 07/07/2011

I make paper beads and make necklaces for the Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts. They are so colorful. Each one is different and I too add inexpensive store bought plastic beads to highlight them. Used Martha Stewart magazines are the best I have found.

By 07/06/2011

I don't make or wear jewelry but I think this idea would be wonderful to use in my mixed media paper mosaic art! Thanks for a great tutorial!

By 07/05/2011

Thank you jlyoung! I never tried doing purse out of magazine. Do you have instructions on how to make purse out of magazine? Maybe you can share it.

By 07/05/2011

Beautiful! I love these beads and to think, you will never run into anyone who has jewelry like yours! I also cut 1/4" strips the entire length of the magazine and used a 1/4" punch to cut out circles and put on the ends of the beads after they were coiled and sealed. I coated them with shellac after I sealed them. Sometime if you felt like doing something different with the magazines, make a purse. The crafts are endless with these types of beads. Thanks for sharing.

By 07/04/2011

Beautiful! Good tutorial too.
Gem

By 07/03/2011

Very, very, very nice.

By 07/03/2011

Thank you for liking my craft. Here are some of my creations. I used some glass beads in it too.

RE: Craft Project: Magazine Bead Jewelry

By 07/03/2011

I am going to make some to to put on my walking sticks I make out of tree branches. I garnish them with beads on ribbon to keep flies and bees away from me when I walk. I love beads. I don't wear earrings or necklaces but the bracelets are darling.

Knowing my endless curiosity, I am going to see how big of one of these beads I can make for art, and then try to make one that is microscopic.

Thanks for sharing! I can tell I am going to have fun with this!
Robyn

By 07/03/2011

This is a really nice craft to have mastered and your jewelry turned out exceptionally well. Easy to understand instructions and great pictures make this a winner. Thumbs Up, and thank you for sharing with us. You could continue making jewelry exactly this way and sell it at craft shows. if you were interested in a "Happy Buck".

Good Luck to you,
Pookarina

By 07/03/2011

Your jewelry is beautiful! And I love the step-by-step pictures. I have a ton pf old magazines, and I'm going to try this as soon as possible.