European style paper beads are so much fun to make.
They also shock so many people when you reveal that they are made from paper.
European style paper beads attract attention!
When I wear my bracelets made from them, I get lots of compliments.
And when I say they are made from paper, people often look at me as if I am joking!
So at what point does the magic happen with European style paper beads?
It happens when the beads have been formed, painted and glazed or sealed. Up to that point, they don’t look particularly European.
But when we fit the metal inserts, the beads are completely transformed. They look stunning on leather or silver bracelets.
On the left, above, you can see the beads looking quite ordinary but on the right, you can see they have been transformed with metal inserts.
We made some gorgeous examples in my workshop at Keep On Crafting, Bury St. Edmund’s recently.
Keep on Crafting was a fabulous arty/crafty shop where the owner, Mandy, went way beyond simply selling products.
She also ran workshops and allowed others to run workshops there too.
The shop unfortunately closed in 2019 but Mandy is true to the shop name she had and has carried on crafting!
For my European style paper beads workshop there, I used the beautiful Starlight range of paints which Mandy stocked.
They were beautiful paints to use on paper beads but appear not be available anymore. They show as out of stock on Amazon.
As you can see from these pictures, it is possible to make some very beautiful, classy looking jewellery from paper.
If you fancy learning to make paper beads watch my YouTube channel Rainbow Lane.
If you scroll through all my videos, you will find quite a few about paper beading.
I also have plenty of free printables to use in these projects. Click here to find them.