Waterproofing Paper Beads

Waterproofing paper beads – what every paper beader needs to know.

Before we dive into the problem of waterproofing paper beads, here is your free printable design.

It’s a blank paper bead strip template that I use in the YouTube video to go with this post.

The link to get it is in the caption directly beneath the picture of me holding the printed design.

There are several ways you can make use of this 3/4 inch tapered paper bead template and I show you one way in the video.

You will find a variety of other free printable designs over on my free printables page.

There aren’t many Terms & Conditions for using them but please click here to see them – thank you.

In my latest tutorial, I show you how to color this template quickly and easily to make beautiful paper beads.

Why is waterproofing paper beads so difficult?

Well it’s not so much difficult as potentially hazardous to your health, if you use certain substances.

I see online, many paper beaders use chemical wood hardeners that are not designed for craft use.

Such chemicals are for restoring rotting wood and halting the rotting process.

And as paper is derived from wood pulp, it’s easy to see why wood hardener works on paper beads.

BUT – take a look at the data sheets for these chemicals before you dive headlong in to using them in crafts.

All of these warnings concern me but most of all, it’s the ‘do not inhale vapour’ warning we should be listening to.

When it comes to waterproofing paper beads, is it safe to use a toxic chemical designed for outdoor use?

And more to the point, is it worth the risk to our health?

Over the years I have seen many risky practices being used in the craft world and this is one more.

Yes, wood hardener will create a water resistant barrier on your paper beads, but at what cost to your skin and lungs?

Even products designed specifically for crafts come with risks that we should be taking precautions against when using.

Crafting with resin is one example of that.

I have seen so many crafters using resin in online tutorials, without talking about the safety aspects.

So many resin crafters don’t use masks or talk about the need for using a chemical mask.

When we are thinking about waterproofing paper beads – safety should be very much in the forefront of our minds.

Several years ago, a viewer on my YouTube channel contacted me suggesting a specific wood hardening product for my paper beads.

They said it would waterproof the paper beads and make them really hard, so I did buy the product to try.

After using it once, I knew it was not something I was happy to suggest to other paper bead makers.

Even though it was brilliant for waterproofing paper beads, I knew it wasn’t for me.

As someone who has extremely sensitive lungs and is prone to asthma, I am really wary of chemical odours.

So I have a huge chemical grade respirator to use with any products that aren’t good to inhale.

It is brilliant – it has a dual filtration system that protects against gases, vapours and particles.

However, I find it really cumbersome to wear while crafting and so I tend to avoid using anything that would need me to wear it.

But when I do use it with powders that can get airbourne or anything with vapour, it provides brilliant protection.

If you really insist on using chemical wood hardener on you paper beads – PLEASE protect you lungs and skin!

I’m not prepared to use it myself.

Hence my quest for waterproofing paper beads using products designed for crafting.

Although I really love my dry method of sealing paper beads using embossing powder, it isn’t fully waterproof.

Personally, I’m not too bothered about wateringproofing beads because I don’t really expose mine to water.

And with my hand painted art beads, I don’t like sealing them with anything at all!

I just wear them occasionally and treat them like the delicate ‘jewels’ they are. 🙂

But this waterproofing question comes up so often, I often try different methods as they occur to me.

The method I use in my latest video is the best for waterproofing paper beads I’ve come up with so far.

So what is the craft product I used for waterproofing?

Well it is a Mod Podge product that I have used several times in my tutorials in the past.

However, it is the way I have used it this time that has made all the difference.

And after I perfected this method, I did leave a bead in a cup of water for eight hours to test it.

And it passed with flying colors! You can see the result in the video.

This is what I used – Mod Podge Dishwasher Safe Sealer.

This product is a decoupage glue designed for use on cups, plates and glasses that crafters might want to personalise.

It’s a glue and a sealer and is safe to put on the top rack of a dishwasher – so it has to be waterproof!

The way I use it to seal my paper bead strips before rolling is what really works well to waterproof them.

When I was thinking about a really robust way to waterproof, I thought that sealing the entire strip would work.

So I coated both sides of the strips before rolling and let them dry on non-stick parchment paper.

Then I added more steps as belt and braces to protect the finished beads – and those steps clinched it.

After soaking a bead made by this method, for eight hours – it was still as hard and durable as before.

And I don’t think anyone’s paper beads are ever going to face that kind of torture!

Unless you try to swim in paper jewelry, the worst they will face is water splashes when washing your hands.

So this method is easily going to protect against splashes and worse water accidents.

To learn about all the steps I used to really make my beads the most waterproof possible, watch my video.

As you will see in the video, I used a set of paint sticks to color my template before cutting my strips out.

Paint sticks weren’t completely new to me, I had briefly used them before with my Grandchildren.

I’d bought a small set of six in The Works in the UK and kept them in the children’s box of art stuff.

And they are primarily for children because it’s a great way to paint with minimal mess.

Then I saw someone art journalling with them and I realised how fantastic they would be for paper beads.

Please be aware I have only used the set pictured above and I absolutely love it.

However, I couldn’t find that same brand on the USA Amazon site and so I have listed the best equivalent I could see on there.

Also, as an Amazon Affliate, I need to let you know I make a very small commission if you buy from a link.

You can read my Amazon Affliate statement by clicking here.

In the process of sealing and waterproofing paper beads, I always use toothpicks to hold them.

And I used to use a block of florist foam to push the sticks into while the beads were drying.

Whenever I got the florist foam out, I would see tiny particles of it floating in the air if the sun was shining in.

So I was a bit wary of it.

And then I had someone come to me for a paper bead workshop, someone who had been a florist.

Sadly, she was terminally ill with lung cancer and has since passed away.

But I will never forget her words to me about using florist foam – she believed those particles in the air were a health hazard.

She had worked with it for years and believed it contributed to, or maybe even caused, her illness.

I have no idea if it did or not – but I stopped using it and have since researched what it is made of.

It’s made of phenol and formaldehyde polymers, neither of which sound as if they belong in our lungs.

And both can cause eye, skin and respiratory tract irritation according to one major manufacturer of florist foam.

So I no longer recommend using florist foam when you are sealing or waterproofing paper beads.

Instead, I use a block of craft styrofoam to dry my wet paper beads on.

I got mine on Amazon but you could easily use any Styrofoam from packaging, or any other material that you can stick tooth picks into.

But beware, even Styrofoam has its hazards because it contains styrene, another chemical that can be dangerous.

If you do use stryrofoam to dry your paper beads on after waterproofing, get rid of it if bits begin breaking off.

So maybe use a large potato, cut in half, to stick your toothpicks into!