If your child is school age or if you are lucky enough to get book orders at your preschool or childcare center this craft is for you! Of course, you can also use newspaper, but the book orders are so colorful! So grab whatever you have, and make a pretty necklace, or bracelet for Earth Day tomorrow, out of recycled book orders.
- Gather your materials. You will need some colorful newspaper or Scholastic Book Order fliers, some ribbon, some elastic bands, white glue, and scissors.
- Roll your paper starting from the open ends so when you glue the end it’s one piece not a bunch of pages fanning out, I made two one this way one the other and the other one was a big huge flop. Glue the edge.
- Add elastics to keep it in place and let dry. Mine only took 2 hours to dry, I would expect 2-4 for a good bond.
- Cut into beads.
- Thread it onto your ribbon. If you really want to make a cool bracelet cut those elastics you already used, tie them together and string the beads on to make an elastic bracelet. I would only do this with an older child though, as it could snap easily, but if they are old enough it would be rad!
- Voila! A recycled bead necklace!
Like this idea but have a toddler? Try our Toilet roll necklace instead!
Have you made anything with the recycled book orders from your child’s school? Share in comments below, or on my Facebook page!
If you teach preschool or preschool at home, you will love my Little School eBook of preschool activities.
My daughter would LOVE making a toilet paper roll necklace! Thanks for the great idea! Right now we just use them as pretend trumpets. 🙂 Doo-do-doo!
.-= Sara – The Football Wife´s last blog ..Breakfast — Toddler Inspired Poetry =-.
You can use them for stethoscopes too !
I don’t have a picture – but somebody must have one – of the smaller, tighter beads you can make if you cut the magazine into long triangles about 8 inches long, with one edge about an inch wide. Starting with the wide edge, roll the paper onto a toothpick tightly so the point of the triangle ends up in the middle of the bead. When the glue dries, paint it with clear nail polish for a glossy finish and preservation. These are smaller – for more experienced hands.
Yes that was the inspiration for this – I made those in a jewelry making daycamp I lead in 1994? ages ago. I think we used modge podge to get a nice lacquer. They really are pretty, perfect for 8-12 year olds, and pretty enough to give away too!
would it work with magazines too or would that be too thick?
It would work just use a few pages. Also let them dry longer to get all the edges down so it doesn’t unravel!
Great activity. Also we’ve made instruments. Put rice or beans in them and closed the ends,
.-= Nicole´s last blog ..Welcome 1 Stop Mom =-.
We get lots of these from my daughter’s preschool. Thanks for the re-purposing idea, it’s great!
.-= Amber´s last blog ..Fun-But-Random Facts =-.
Cool idea for recycling colored newspaper! It’s been fun seeing everyone’s creative craft ideas in the blogosphere in honor of Earth Day.
Jen
.-= Jen´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday: Creative Picnic Table =-.
Love this idea. Finally, something to do with all those book order forms!
.-= Amie Plumley´s last blog ..Nature Bracelets =-.
We love to make creative jewelry! Making paper beads with the children looks like so much fun!
I used to make these all the time, you just reminded me to make them again sometimes 🙂