Comments on: Help Me Help a Family with Jewelry

By: Carol

Carol — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 22:04:32 +0000

Dianne, Go to YouTube and search for Paper beads tutorials. The supplies are common and would be easy to take/ship. Good luck to you.

By: Caron Lambert

Caron Lambert — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 16:42:47 +0000

Hi Dianne.

I’m sort of getting out of the business except for my own enjoyment and to donate items I make. I would be happy to put together a box of beads, etc. that you could send along. My email is beads.tiacaron [at] verizon.net. Please let me know if I can help.

By: Annie Hubbard

Annie Hubbard — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 16:07:22 +0000

Dianne,
Have you ever heard of Bead for Life? They work with women in Uganda, giving them opportunities that allow them to sustain themselves by making paper beads, which are finished and sold internationally. Your friends could do something similar. The supplies would be cheap (magazines with colorful pictures or other types of paper, scissors, glue, and some type of protective coating). I’m not sure what the women use to coat the beads to protect them or what the glue mixture is made up of but you could probably easily research that (I know some people use clear nail polish to finish them off). They could either sell the beads as is or string them and sell the finished jewelry. Take a look at the Bead for Life website if you haven’t heard about them already. They sell both the finished jewelry and just the beads so you can see what I mean. I’ve purchased beads from them and they do a wonderful job making them. We’ve made gifts for teachers with them and I’ll be making more gifts soon. They look nice and I think it appeals to people who not only want to help with the program but also like the idea of using recycled materials. Kind of a bohemian/organic feel to it. Would they be selling them in Peru (to tourists say) or sending them back to you for resale? Both would work. Nicely finished paper beads are becoming very popular.

By: Valerie

Valerie — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 13:14:05 +0000

Your bead stash that does not inspire you, or that container of left over beads from past projects. Ask your friends to contribute the same. Go to your local bead store and see if they want to help out with discounted items that have not sold in a very long time.

By: Sara

Sara — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 12:45:07 +0000

How about using simple washers, cords and beads. It would be cheap and easy to do – plus they look cool! Check this out for how they added fingernail polish to the washers to give them a pop of color.
smallforbig.com/2013/06/diy-washer-necklaces-2.html

By: Jane

Jane — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 22:23:48 +0000

My first thought when I read this was that it might be better for the family if you sent materials that didn’t require complicated tools, such as interesting beads, or the Chinese coins with the hole in the center, or donut shaped beads. These, along with some cord, wire, simple findings, and maybe a pair of pliers and a small file, would allow the family to create jewelry with a minimum of difficulty.