Upcycling Tyvek: Beads, Jewelry, a Tutorial and More!

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.

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.

A bracelet with Tyvek, glass, and metal beads.

This bracelet has glass and Tyvek beads, with Turkmen pieces from Gwen Lafluer's website.

A recent batch of Tyvek beads, waiting to be used.

I added a tassel, small beads, and a Tyvek bead to this journal page marker.

Above are four 4" x 6" fabric postcards made with painted Tyvek, metal mesh, and free-motion quilting.

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.