For years I have been making my own unique beads out of recycled Tyvek USPS mailing envelopes. I use them in my handmade jewelry and as embellishments on my art quilts and mixed media projects.
There was a tutorial about how to make them on one of my blog page sections but I accidentally deleted it a few weeks ago. Fortunately, I remembered that the same tutorial was published on the Cloth Paper Scissors website waaaay back in November 2007. I searched my computer and storage drive without success for a copy of my instructions. Then I searched my ancient emails and fortunately found the link to the article. (The instructions are at the end of this post.)
I have great fun painting, cutting, and rolling the beads, and even more fun blasting them with my heat gun to melt them a little bit, which gives them uniqueness and charm. I use Lumiere acrylic paint...I haven't found that the beads melt beautifully and look magical with any other paint. It's very relaxing and creative...each bead comes out a little different.
I have also used the upcycled, painted Tyvek in quilted postcards and "inchies," and sold small mixed-media Tyvek art in Art-o-Mat machines.
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| This is an Art-o-Mat block from a batch I created several years ago. In addition to the Tyvek, they have waxed rice paper, machine stitching, and dots of dimensional gold acrylic paint. Art-o-Mat retools old cigarette machines, which they fill with handmade, affordable art. |
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| A bracelet with Tyvek, glass, and metal beads. |
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| A recent batch of Tyvek beads, waiting to be used. |
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| I added a tassel, small beads, and a Tyvek bead to this journal page marker. |
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| Above are four 4" x 6" fabric postcards made with painted Tyvek, metal mesh, and free-motion quilting. |
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| These 1" x 1" mixed media pieces, called "inchies" are made of painted and heat distressed Tyvek with hand stitched small beads. |
Here's the tutorial if you would like to give Tyvek beadmaking a try. The tutorial suggests cutting the pieces 1", but that makes a long, thin bead. I now prefer making my beads about 3/4" long and a little chubbier.
3 comments:
Thank you. I love quirky arty things.
...and i have some of your Tyvek art beads on a bracelet made by you....way back when we traded fabric and recycled art challenge pieces. good old days.
Great to see you still arting out laud and sharing!!
Good to see you are still arting out loud and sharing!
Mix media recycling was fun to make and exchange.....way back when.
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