I have always enjoyed making things from scratch.
It feels good building something with your bare hands and maybe even saving a few bucks along the way.
In this article, I will attempt to show you a simple way to make beads from scratch.
It takes a little practice to get good at this, but after a few tries I am confident you will be a pro.
Making beads from scratch can be done relatively easy.
I am even going to show you how you can make them from newspaper! So lets begin by making a list of what is needed to accomplish this:

1. Newspaper
2. Glue
3. A Pot
4. Sandpaper
5. A Drill
6. Varnish
7. Craft Paint

After you have gathered your supplies, you can begin the process of making beads from scratch.
The first thing you will want to do is take the newspaper that you have gathered in step 1 and rip it into small pieces.
Once you have many pieces of paper ripped into small pieces you will need to place them in a Pot.
You want to get some boiling water and pour it into the Pot just enough to cover all the paper.
After you have completed that, you are going to want to leave it sit for around an hour before continuing.
Next, after it has sat for around an hour, you are going to want to stir it up a bit to help break down the paper.
Additionally, you are also going to want to drain as much water as you possible out of the paper.
You are then going to want to add some glue to the paper.
You want to add enough so that the paper can be molded into ball shape.
You are free to use any glue that is clear after it has dried.
I usually just use PVA glue, it has always worked just fine for me.
After you have applied the glue, you can begin rolling the paper into ball shapes.
You can make them any size that you would like.
After you have done so, you are going to want to let them sit for a few days.
During this time you can occasionally roll them to remove even more water.
After the waiting period is over, you will want to have your sand paper handy.
You want to sand each individual bead down slightly, just to remove the rough edges.
You can then drill a hole in each bead in order to make room for any material that you would like to string them with.
You can apply whatever color paint that you want in order to add some aesthetic appeal.
Finally, after you have painted them, you will want to add a coat of varnish to each bead to complete the process.
It is really that simple.
You can imagine the infinite selection of beads that you could create using this method.
I have accumulated a rather large collection of these homemade beads and I really think some of them are pretty neat.
It took me a few times to get the hang of it, but it is really not such a difficult time at all.