Paper Bead Christmas Tree

Designed By Julie A. Bolduc

This little paper bead tree is made with randomly cut green strips of paper, has a construction paper base, beaded trunk and stands about 10" tall including the Paper Bead Angel at the top. You could use randomly colored Size 6 Seed beads instead of the green Size 6 Seed beads to act as ornaments or light bulbs!

Materials Needed

• 40 Headpins total 3" long in gold and silver
• 48 Headpins total 2" long in gold and silver
• 6 Sheets of Scrapbook paper in varying Shades of Green 8-1/2" x 11"
• 1 Sheet Brown Scrapbook paper 8-1/2" x 11"
• Red Card Stock
• Gray Marble copy paper or white copy paper
• 1 bamboo Skewer 12" long or an 1/8" wood dowel
• Glass E-beads in 2 shades of green or random colored beads
• 9 split jump rings 6mm diameter
• 3 Sheets Each of Red, White and Green Construction Paper
• White Glue
• Silver or Gold Paper Liner from a small Box of Cigarettes or other silver or gold wrapping paper
• All Purpose White Glue
• Wood Glue
• PC-Petrifier and Vibrance

Tools Needed
• Paper Cutter of some sort
• Needle Nose Pliers
• Jewelry wire cutters
• 5/32" Short Paper Bead Roller
• 3/32" Short Paper Bead Roller
• 3/8" diameter Dowel at least 12" long
• Glue palate & toothpick
• Supplies for glazing and drying your beads

Finished Size: 10"h x 4"w
Skill Level: Intermediate

Instructions

1. Work on the beads first and then while the beads are drying, you can work on the base.
2. With the 6 sheets of shades of green paper, cut random sized 11" long strips from 1/4" to 5/8" wide at the wide end and 1/16" at the narrow end. I layered all of my sheets together and used my guillotine cutter to make the cuts all at once. I didn't bother to mark them. I just eyeballed the sizes. You want to make sure you make at least 5 cuts that are 1/4" wide at the wide end and then vary the rest of them a little wider. I actually ended up with a few left over beads after I finished assembling my tree.
3. Cut the Following Strips for the beads:
   • 3 Right angle triangle strips of red card stock 8-1/2" long by 1-3/4" at one end and 3/4" wide at the other end. This is the tapered tree stand that goes in the center of the base.
   • 3 Right Angel Triangle Strips, 11" long, 1" at the wide end and 1/16" at the narrow end from gray marble copy paper or copy paper of choice. This is the skirt. They will be layered to gether and rolled up to create a fat bead.
   • 1 Strip 1/4" wide at the wide end and 1/16" at the narrow end of the same gray marble copy paper. This is the head.
   • 1 Strip 1/4" wide at the wide end and 1/8" at the narrow end of the same gray marble copy paper. This will be the body where the wings go.
   • Trunk Beads: Cut 8 strips from an 8-1/2" x 11" brown sheet of paper into strips that are 1/2" at one end and 1/4" at the other end. You will need 1 of these beads between each set of branches. I actually cut the whole sheet of paper into the same size beads. I used a paper bead cutting template, printed on the back side, to make it easier.
4. Roll the Strips into beads.
   • For the Tree Branches: Roll all of the green beads using a 1/16", 5/64" or 3/32" paper bead roller. You will end up with dozens of beads. Roll them all!
   • For the trunk beads: Roll the brown paper strips that are 1/2" wide at one end with the 5/32" paper bead roller. These beads will go onto the trunk between the branches layers. I rolled all of them. You will use one bead between each set of branches.
   • For the Angel's skirt: With the 5/32" paper bead roller, roll the 4 right angle triangles together at the same time making sure they are all even and going in the same direction. Be sure to form into a cone shape.
   • For the Angel's head: With the 5/32" paper bead roller, roll the 1/4" x 1/16" x 11" strip.
   • For the Angel's body: With the 5/32" paper bead roller, roll the 1/4" x 1/8" x 11" strip. Do not remove the bead from the roller, set it aside. You will now make the wings. Cut 2 pieces, the same size, of silver coated white paper, I used a silver liner from a hard pack of cigarrettes. No I Do Not Smoke! You can use wrapping paper that is silver on one side and paper on the other if you want. I found a silver gift bag at the dollar tree that would have worked as well. The size should be about 1" x 2".

     Layer them together back to back. Fold them in half. Cut a half wing shape out making sure the fold is the center part. At the fold, make sure you cut in 1/8" before making your wing curves. Unfold, put glue on the inside center back of each set of wings and place them on the outside of the bead still on the paper bead roller. Line both sides up so they are even and glue the wings fronts and backs together to hide the white inside. You are wrapping the wings around this bead, hiding the bead inside the wings. Remove wing bead from paper bead roller.

5. Glazing The Beads: String the beads and dip and glaze them as you normally would any other beads. Including the bead with the wings. You might want to glaze it separately on it's own strand. I actually did dip them just like all of the other beads.
6. Make Base of Tree:
   • Cut each of the 9 sheets of construction paper into four 2-1/4" x 12" strips. Cut one more 2-1/4" wide strip from a sheet of red construction paper. You will need this for the outside eges of the base.
   • With your 3/8" dowel rod, roll each strip into a long tube, making sure to spread glue along one edge, away from the dowel to within 1" of the bottom near the dowel.
   • Flatten each tube into a flat rolled strip. You can use a bone folder or pasta machine to sharpen the edges of the flattened tubes.
   • Set the tubes aside for now.
   • Make the tree stand. Glue the wide end only of the 3 layers of red card stock triangles together making sure they are all lined up and going in the same direction.
   • Roll the 3 layers of red cardstock strips together to form a cone, directly on the bamboo skewer. The skewer will be used as part of the tree so make sure the bottom of the skewer and the cone just made are even. Remove the skewer for now until you finish rolling the flattened strips onto the tree stand.
   • Starting with a red strip, start wrapping the bottom of the tree stand with the flattened strips. Insert each subsequent strip into the previous one gluing them together as you go. Also glue them to the base as you go. Keep adding them until your base is 4" in diameter. The order in which you need to add your strips is red, white, green, red, white, green, etc... until you use up all of your strips. You should end with 2 strips of red wrapped around the outside of your base.
   • Apply glue to the bottom end of the skewer, generously and insert it into the center of the base so the bottom of the skewer is lined up with the bottom of the base. Allow to dry at least a couple of hours before going onto the next step. You don't want the skewer to come out of the hole ever again.
   • Once the skewer inside the hole is dry, dip the base into PC-Petrifier a total of 4 times, allowing the base to dry at least 2 hours between dips. Then dip the base in either Vibrance or some other top coat one or two times for the desired effect. You will want to invert the base and stick the sharpened end of the skewer in some rigid foam or something that will hold it while it dries.
7. Assemble The Tree!
   • Set the prepared base on your work table.
   • Assemble Branches: You will need 8 beaded head pins per set of branches. Cut your head pins in advance. You will need 8 each of the following 9 sizes. 3", 2-3/4", 2-1/2", 2-1/4", 2", 1-3/4", 1-1/2", 1-1/4", 1" Basically, from 2" to 1" at 1/4" increments.
   • Starting with a size 6 seed bead on each head pin, randomly fill each head pin with your green beads and size 6 seed beads. Make a simple loop at the end of each pin.
   • Starting with the 3" long pins, attach the beaded headpins to your 6mm split jump rings. Set them aside in the order of size.
   • Build the Tree: Place the large set of branches on the skewer first, followed by a brown bead, then the next sized smaller branch set followed by another brown bead and continue in this pattern until you place the smallest branch on the top. Add the skirt of the angel to the top of the branches. Add the winged bead then the head. Trim the dowel if needed and you can put some glue on the very top of the dowel before you add the head if you like to secure the tree in place.

Design written on December 12, 2014. Copyright ©2014 By Julie A. Bolduc f206003