DIY Recycled Magazine Bead Necklace

Today, I'm switching up gears in a major way. This has absolutely nothing to do with my house, unless you consider the fact that I'm using magazines that are delivered to my house.

Time for a recycled magazine bead tutorial!

You'll need:
- old magazines
- Modge Podge
- a crappy old tiny paintbrush
- thin ribbon

To create a bunch of handmade beads that looks like this, here's what you do:

1) Scope out your magazines and tear out pages that have any color you might want, much like this column of yellow:

2) Cut out a looong triangle from that color column. The length of the base of that triangle will determine how long the bead will turn out.

3) Starting at the widest point of the triangle, roll up the paper with the color facing outward. Along the way, brush Modge Podge inside as well so that the bead will really stick together and set up hard. Also, I start by wrapping the paper around something like a pin, so that the inside is smaller, does that make sense (probably not, since that is now shown in the picture below)?

4) Modge Podge the outside of the bead as well so that it is nicely sealed and becomes hard:

I hunted for pages with purple so that I could amass a nice pile of beads:

5) Next, take thin ribbon (I bought this black ribbon from Michael's for $1) and cut a loooooong strand. Starting in the middle, tie a few knots until they create one mega-knot. Feed your first bead onto the ribbon so that it stops at that knot:

6) Right up next to the other side of the bead, make a couple more knots until those, too, create one big knot to serve as a stopper on the opposite side. So, now you've got one bead in between two big knots to prevent it from sliding up or down:
7) You can play with color and spacing, so just keep tying those knots and stringing on your beads until you've covered the entire length of the ribbon:
8) After you've got as many beads on as you want, tie the ends of the ribbon together. I saturated this knot with modge podge, so that it hardened up, then cut off the excess ribbon ends.

Now I have a fantastic colorful necklace. I can either double it up:

Or wear it long:

If you're anything like me, and need something mindless to do while you watch TV or whatever, this is the perfect project. Listening to music and making beads, that's how I relaxed on Sunday night. If you try this and get stopped up at any of the steps, just let me know and I can try to help. I promise, it's worth the effort. :)