My favorite necklace is made out of paper.

I've been wanting to blog about this ever since we had a girls night over at Heather's where we made necklaces copying designs in Vogue and using beads made by Rwandan women. The beads are breathtaking. Sometimes (and I'm being embarrassingly honest here), stuff sold for the sake of helping others is more about supporting a good cause and less about actual aesthetics.

In this case... they really are cool.



Started by a non profit, christian organization BeadForLife, as a way for impoverished, HIV positive women in Africa to earn money and food. You can read more about it in the article here: "In Africa, a papercraft path out of poverty".



They use magazines and recycled paper to make beads...thousands and thousands of beads. It's like a Dr. Suess book. Brown beads, blue beads... tall beads, fat beads.

"The women make paper beads and jewelry, which are then sold in North American homes at BeadForLife parties– a hip version of the Tupperware party, but for beaded jewelry."

So very awesome.


You can purchase these beads on Etsy, or BeadForLife or through some churches.

Or you can make your own (which I haven't done yet, but want to try).

Tutorial One
Tutorial Two
Tutorial Three

And just for extra kicks and giggles, these paper mulch beads are pretty darn fabulous too.


Tutorial here.