Anndddd I’m back! I made it to the east coast (not entirely to Philly yet), and am so ready to get back to crafting. There’s only so long a girl can be separated from her glue gun, am I right?
Since moving is costing me an arm and a leg, I needed to find a way to make some new jewelry for the holiday season without breaking the bank. The good news is that it’s totally possible! Cardboard beads are surprisingly easy to make and a great way to add a pop of color to any outfit. Here’s how:
Time: 20 minutes
Materials: corrugated cardboard, scissors, mod podge, brush, pen, straws
This is my first time working with corrugated cardboard and I think I may have a new favorite craft supply. It holds shape nicely and is so easy and flexible to work with. If you’ve never worked with it before, I recommend that you pick some up asap and try this project!
If you’re making the triangle shape, it helps to draw it on the back of the cardboard first. You can also make a variety of other shapes by cutting straight strips of paper in a mix of widths. Experiment and have fun with this step!
Once you have your shapes cut out, apply a layer of mod podge to the back (smooth side) of the cardboard. Roll up the cardboard on your straw and add bit of mod podge to the end to hold in place. In about 20 seconds you’ll be able to remove your bead from the straw so you can set it aside and let it dry. I found that if you have a few different straws, you can lay them over a cup (so the bead is over the hole) to let dry while you make another bead.
And that’s it! I strung some on a piece of twine and made a fun necklace in no time at all. I think it would be fun to make bigger beads, and maybe have multiple strands, to make a killer statement necklace. I’ve got lost of experimenting to do! What do you think, will you be joining me?!
