things i love – bits of paper
I recently used my entire collection of paper beads to fill up a vase on the dining room dresser. originally, I had planned to use them as a garland for my extra large home sweet homemade Christmas tree this year.
that little decision puts me back in the paper-bead making business again, taking full advantage of the constant stream of paper delivered for free, right to my own mailbox. just a few beads per day. I never fail to become energized with the simple beauty of each.
reading about other ways to use paper in simple clever ways keeps me energized too. like this color drenched idea . source: design*sponge, author Grace Bonney.
or this lovely personal touch added to a gift from the farmer’s market. source: Frugal Luxuries by Tracey McBride (stocking the gift pantry)
making dust jackets for paperback books is a personal favorite thing, and these examples catch my heart strings! source: design*sponge, from the home of Mary Zepeda (via The Precious Little Things in Life)
my own paperback book dust jackets are similar–
the antique door project I completed last week included paper in a starring role and the finished product had a bit of a textile look. so with that in mind, I thought I would travel down the paper as textile path a few steps to see where it led.
just a little peek at the progress so far. very time consuming, but such a pleasing effect 🙂
thank you for reading ~ hope your weekend has been absolutely splendid!
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Linking to
home sweet homemade 
I’m loving your pretty paper beads and the way they look in the clear jar. Those paper hearts are amazing. I can only imagine the time they took to make…so tiny and so much detail.
I love your paper hearts. I have made many bead necklaces out of wallpaper.
Dee
I love your paper crafts! The beads are fun, but those hearts? AWESOME!! I like the shape you’ve used on this batch.
Neat project!
I love your dust jackets! I need to do this with my books. Thank you for the great idea!
Diane…not only do I love your paper beads, but I adore how they look in that glass container. OMG…you’ve made SO MANY!!!
” just a few beads per day. I never fail to become energized with the simple beauty of each.”
You GO, girl! And I can’t wait to see how they look on your Christmas tree this year, because I remember how beautiful last years was!
Lovely things you share with us today. Adore the little button holder. And those dust jackets are sooooooo cool-looking! They reminded me of when I went to catholic school, where each one of our books HAD to have a dust jacket. I use to make mine out of brown grocery bags!!!
Hope you had wonderful weekend, my friend!
X to you and Cristybella!
Ahhh…Diane…more magic with paper. So lovely! The dust jackets are my favorite and have been a project of mine…ahum…I should say a never~ending project of mine!
Warmly,
Tracey
x0x
You’re so talented! I bought some paper beads to fill a glass jar…..do I get partial credit? 🙂
Love what you have done with the paper beads. What a nice and colorful idea to put them in a vase in your dining room. Very clever.
I am a paper addict too! When I was younger I had a paper bead making machine and I made a zillion of them! It was so much fun. Maybe I should start making them again.
Here from Be COlorful Blog Hop!
http://www.through-my-is.blogspot.com
Ooh. I am intrigued. Can’t wait to see what you are creating now.
Pam
those paper beads are awesome!!!! perfect for a garland too.
Oh man, I’ve been wanting to recover my books for a long time! wish i had that good of handwriting!
Hi Diane! Wow! That jar looks fabulous filled with all of that color! Beautiful! And those book jackets are ammmmazing!!! Thanks for leaving your kind comments at my blog today. Hope to see you again! 🙂
The paper beads are absolutely adorable 🙂 I love little crafts like this! Maybe using some newspaper would be a cute feel as well!
I LOVE the paper beads, and what a great source for colored paper! Awesome!
I just LOVE dust jackets, I haven’t made them for books since I was a kid. I might have to try this! LOVE the paper beads as well! anything paper = good to me! 🙂
It is amazing what you can do with a bit of paper. Those paper beads are awesome. Thanks for sharing.
Great paper beads but I really love the idea of the dust jackets!
Fabulous projects! I absolutely LOVE the antique door!! I always say that if you put me on a desert island, all I would need is paper, glue, crayons and scissors. 🙂
Hi Diane,
Thanks for your sweet comment on my paper mache post. I love your paper post today too! Wow you made a lot of beads. I have a link party every Tuesday now. I would love for you to link up any of your very inspirational projects.Come over any Tuesday.
Thanks again.
Thank you for sharing your tea cup candle on Masterpiece Monday at Boogiebord Cottage, loved it! I’ve featured it this week on my top ten fav picks. Have great day, Mary :O)
Thank you Diane for your kind comment I’m glad you enjoyed my room.
I think your paper beads are so lovely and such a great way of reusing junk mail. So many clever ideas, I would never of thought to put paper cake cases over jam jars but they look amazing 🙂 x
Diane – I just saw these bracelets and thought they could be made with magazine paper beads. http://pinterest.com/pin/73057131/
I would LOVE to see a Xmas tree garland made from those! Are you still planning on it???
Michael
btw – do you cut the paper in elongated triangles? Any quick and easy tips for a ‘cut-corners’ crafter like me?
Love the books!
I saw this last night, and it wasn’t until today that I had an epiphany from your post! Trying to be more frugal right now, this has inspired what will be my Christmas gift to several people this year! Thanks for the great idea, and money (to be) saved!
What’s the garland going to be on the christmas tree? I love the paper bead collection- it looks lovely in the vase! Thanks for linking to WorkShop Wednesday! Hope to see you again this week!
Those beads are lovely. I am completely obsessed with recycled paper jewelry these days. I am so with you on the unfinished craft projects!
Love those book jackets. Thanks for joining my Share the Love Wednesday link party!
Mary
Your paper beads are incredible!
The inspiration from the magazine beads finally came to fruition for me! Have a look at my latest creation when you get a sec.
http://bluevelvetchair.blogspot.com/2011/10/oversized-mirror-frame-recycled.html
p.s. don’t miss your mention under inspiration credits in the post.
Michael.
love magic with paper
do you have a tutorial on how to make the beads?
I followed the tutorial for paper beads on http://carolynshomework.blogspot.com