Paper Beads and My Experimentation with Different Sealer Products 

Thank you. That sounds brilliant!

I did end up trying the brand of wood hardener I show in the video, and the results were disastrous. I ruined a strand of beads using the dipping method. I didn't leave them in for very long, yet the color ran, and they stuck together in a way that they would not pop apart easily as they do in "Beyond Bracelets" videos with the PC Petrifyer. It is probable that the two formulas are different enough where one works better than the other. I recommend trying it out on a strand of test beads first. If you have better luck with the PC Petrifyer please let me know

heidi brill I have a blog post showing the process here: elizabethkathleenking.wordpress.com/2014/06/24/hand-painted-decorative-house-numbers-the-process/

I really like the house numbers!

Becky A Hi. Yes I have tried it! I have several bottles of it. However, it does take a lot longer to dry than I’m willing to wait. It’s a thick product, and when I tried to hurry the drying process with a hairdryer or fan it dries and shrinks unevenly creating cracks in the surface. It’s definitely a product that you have to have patience with and allow it to dry slowly. I do love it for other types of projects that I’m willing to be more patient with, just not paper beads.

I need to do an updated version of this video. There are so many more product choices now.

@@BeadyEyedBeth Beth I immediately bought wood hardener as have seen used before.. I’ll keep an eye on you 😌

Lauren Mullis Yes! Mod Podge does get sticky in high humidity. All is not lost though, simply put at least two coats of either diamond glaze or water-based polyurethane glossy over each bead, on top of the mod podge, and that will greatly reduce the stickiness.

@@BeadyEyedBeth Great thanks!!

I agree it coats the outside nicely, but leaves the inside bead core unprotected. It also yellows over time. Not an option for me, but may be for others. Thanks for sharing.

tear drops paper beads tutorial

Unfortunately jd went out of business or no longer sells it:(

I’m thinking the dishwasher safe, if used in several coats or dippings, would provide a very good degree of water resistance. You may also want to experiment with PC Petrifier as a base coat. There is a watercolor artist and teacher who makes earrings out of rice paper and watercolor paper, and he uses a couple of coats of water-based polycrylic, Letting it absorb into the paper to both strengthen and stiffen it and give it water resistance. I’ll find the link to his video and put it in another comment below. Thanks for watching!

See above comment. Here is his video. Skip ahead to 25:15 if you just want to see the part where he vanishes: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mfSZ6IPIps8.html

GIjoeWEARSdiapers ! Hard coat, which is the same formula as the glossy furniture mod podge formula, or so I’m told. A good second alternative is the dishwasher formula. However, neither one of those is as shiny as the Polycrylic is when applied in several layers. However, since some time has passed since I made this video, and I’ve made a lot more beads, I’d like to update my preference from Diamond Glaze to Polycrylic, water-based formula. You can thin it with water so it really soaks into the bead for the first coat or two, then do a couple of full-strength coats. I still prefer glazing one bead at a time over the messy, product-wasting dip method. Polycrylic makes the beads nice and hard and shiny. I use Polycrylic exclusively now. I don’t even use the wood hardener anymore, not even PC Petrifier, which I strongly suspect is what Janice Mae is decanting into jars with her brand name on them, and re-selling as her base-coat product - there is nothing wrong with that, especially if you have a hard time finding the PC Petrifier where you live. However, I now see the wood-hardener as an unnecessary extra step, both expensive and time-consuming. It turns the paper into a plastic-like product. If I wanted plastic beads I’d make plastic beads, and that’s all it does. If you use the watered-down polyacrylic for several coats inside and out, then a coat or two of it full-strength you will get a nice, hard, shiny and water-resistant bead. Water-resistant is not the same as water-proof, but unless you’re going swimming while wearing the beads, or in the shower or steam room the beads should last a good long time. If you’re prone to being hard on your jewelry, the wood-hardner will give it some extra strength against crushing.

MARY LYNN GRANADO The PC Petrifier would be used first, several coats or dippings, allowing to dry completely between coats, then either the Mod Podge (assuming you got the dishwasher safe formula I mentioned in the video) OR the triple thick, as they are both glazes. Experiment with the glazes to see which you like best.

Thank You.

I actually did try it, with disastrous results. I think the problem was I did not seal the bead with a sealer first, and when I brushed the UV resin onto the bare paper it created dark, almost oily looking spots. I recall reading somewhere years ago that using a silicone-based glue first as a sealer would work. Apparently, silicone-based is the only kind of sealer that is chemically compatible with UV resin over time. If you have experience with this please let me know what works for you. Thank you!

Everything I have read online states that polycrylic is non-toxic once it's cured. I have worn paper bead bracelets and clay pendants sealed with polycrylic right next to my skin with no issues whatsoever. I have somewhat sensitive skin.

+champagne5552000 Timbo's boiled peanuts in West Ashely are the best I've ever had. I've definitely developed a taste for them since moving south in 2004. I've yet to try yellow BBQ sauce. Any recommendations?