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Tyvek Crafts

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Tyvek crafts

Tyvek crafts. Really? Yes! Tyvek is not only for making mailing envelopes or house wrapping material.

As most seasoned crafters will know, we made Tyvek our own a long time ago.

And why not? Tyvek is one of the most versatile craft materials I have in my craft arsenal.

It acts like paper but it’s tough, tear resistant and water resistant – what’s not to love!

I show you how to make these beautiful beads made from hand painted Tyvek sheets
More Tyvek beads from hand painted sheets

Tyvek crafts are very popular – just do a Google search and you’ll see.

So this week, I finally decided it was time to break out my Tyvek stash and make something gorgeous.

The secret is in how you paint the Tyvek and in this week’s video, I show you how I painted mine.

There is no right or wrong way to paint Tyvek.

My way isn’t necessarily the ‘right’ way – it’s just how I do it and I love the finished Tyvek beads I make.

You could paint it a different way – like straight on with the brush – that works too.

But I love the subtle way you can build gradual layers with the way I do it in the video.

Tyvek crafts
Two of my painted Tyvek sheets
Tyvek crafts
Bead strips cut from my Tyvek paintings

If you have never tried Tyvek crafts, this is a great way to start.

Tyvek is expensive though but there are workarounds.

I bought an A4 20 sheet when I ran out of used Tyvek envelopes.

Ideally, you will have a recycleable envelope at home as so many people use them now.

Or, you may have one of those white ‘paper’ suits that people wear to decorate.

They are made of a softer version of Tyvek and are great for crafting.

And getting your Tyvek that way is much cheaper than buying the sheets aimed at crafters.

So make a habit of saving any Tyvek envelopes you get because free is the best option.

If you want to try Tyvek crafts and you don’t know where to get the sheets try my Amazon storefronts.

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

Amazon Affiliate Statement

But why Tyvek and not paper beads?

Paper beads are brilliant – I absolutely love making them – have done for decades and I will always will.

However, Tyvek adds another dimension to ‘paper’ bead making because it allows you to go beyond the limitations of paper.

By that I mean the real magic starts when you have rolled your Tyvek bead and it’s still on the roller.

With paper beads, you can’t do much more than paint or decorate once they’re rolled but you can melt Tyvek.

That means you can blast a Tyvek bead while it is still on the roller (a metal knitting needle) with a heat gun.

That is when you see what painted Tyvek can do – especially if you paint the way I do in the video.

Are you just a little bit curious?

If you are, watch the video and you will see what I mean.

If you aren’t inspired to have a play with Tyvek, just use my free printables to make regular paper beads.

There are six designs for you and each one is in A4 or US Letter size.

All the designs were created from me painting onto Tyvek.

Also, I have created a second version of each free printable with tapered bead strip cut lines.

That will make it easy for you to see how to cut the strips once you have printed the designs.

Tyvek may be 100% synthetic but these beads have a very organic look to them.

If you want to get this week’s free printables, click the Google Drive link below.

Click here to access the free designs.

Click here to see the short list of Terms & Conditions of using my free printables.

And if you want to see my other many free printables, visit my free printable page.

And there are more freebies coming!

If you want to know every time I give some away, subscribe to this blog and also to my YouTube channel.

And I would love to have you follow me on Instagram!

Click here to follow my Instagram

Oh and if you want a paper bead strip stencil/template like I use in the video…

Tyvek crafts

Visit my:

Etsy shop

or

Folksy shop (Best for UK buyers).

That’s all for this week – thank you for your visit and have fun with Tyvek crafts.