by Meredith Brustlin, CMNH Educator

This is such an easy and fun project and is a perfect one to do during Earth Day week! 

Materials Needed:

  • Magazines or other scrap paper
  • Pencils
  • A glue stick
  • String
  • Mod Podge or DIY Mod Podge (white glue mixed with water)
    • This is optional!

Directions:

  • Prep this activity by cutting magazines or other scrap paper into long skinny triangles
    • Cut the paper vertically to make the longest triangles possible!
  • Starting with the wide end of one of your triangles, start rolling it tightly around a pencil
    • Sometimes little ones need help with this beginning step!
  • Keep rolling until you are about 2” from the end of the triangle--it should just be a skinny little strip left
  • Cover that strip with glue and continue rolling to complete your bead
  • Wiggle the bead off your pencil
  • Make more beads!
  • String your beads to make a necklace or bracelet. 

If you’d like, when you’re finished with your beads--you can paint them with Mod Podge and let them dry. This will make your beads more secure and sturdy and also make them shiny!