A few years ago I commissioned Angela's Paper Beads to make me a custom order. Even though I love the time consuming and rewarding process of rolling your own super tiny paper beads, I was too busy at the time to bother. So I bought a ton from her and have been making all kinds of paper bead projects since.
Can I tell you? Up-cycled crafts are my favorite and they always get the most attention where ever. People always look at your pieces and are like, "what is that?!" Then are completely blown away when you tell them what it is. The only downside to these beads is that if you don't seal them right, you can ruin your piece in an instant. Obviously they aren't waterproof. If you stick your hand in a sink full of water or go swimming, you are obviously loosing you're hard work whether its sealed right or not. But you shouldn't be swimming with jewelry on anyways RIGHT?
Good ole Modpodge will do the trick, but if you want to go all out, and can do it outside, a polyurethane finish spray/varnish spray is mint. Other people like to use resin or nail varnish. It really is all personal preference.
Let me know your preference in the comment section below. I always love to hear whats working best for other people.
