The first bead to make is with regular old play dough, either homemade or store bought. Have the kids form the beads on a toothpick or bamboo skewer, let dry thoroughly (overnight or longer, depending on size), then let their imagination take over. These can be painted, left alone, decoupaged, or sealed with acrylic.
Now here's a different bead...made from a potato. These beads take about a week or so to dry, so they take a little
more planning. You can leave them plain (just be sure to seal with acrylic sealer) or paint. This project was painted to look like turquoise. Here is another link to a similar project.
Another option is making beads from paper. These beads will hold up great if you make sure they are properly sealed with an acrylic sealer. You can use newspaper, magazines, wrapping paper, construction paper...almost any paper will work. Experiment with different shapes of paper, make the triangles fatter, longer, or make squares to make different sizes and shapes. Here is a tutorial to get you started. This short video shows the process, and how to combine with beads (possibly reclaimed from old jewelry) to make a stylish necklace.
This final project is more for older teens and adults, but the kids can still string them. This idea is from Dollar Store Crafts, which has become a favorite site. Using plastic bottles and paper, these beads are heated to melt into beads. Be sure to follow all of the precautions!
No necklace is complete without a pendant...so here's a crafty recycling way to make a pendant out of plastic containers from the grocery store.
Don't stop here...let you imagination run wild...find other throwaway items to make jewelry. Remember, make it crafty, make it useful, and make it green!
Let us know if you have any ideas to make jewelry out of junk...we love ideas!
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