DIY Rhinestone Jewelry - Paper Bead Earrings with Bling

Jewelry is much more than a simple accessory, it’s the finishing touch to any outfit. Moreover, you can express your personality through your creations when you make pieces. In this DIY rhinestone jewelry tutorial, we’ll show you how to create beautiful earrings with paper beads and crystal bling.

Necessary Supplies For This DIY Rhinestone Jewelry Project

Sometimes the simplest materials can make the most beautiful things.  For example, old magazines can become colorful paper beads. This craft of making paper beads is old, possibly dating back to Victorian England when women used wallpaper scraps. Today, artisans continue the tradition with modern twists creating beautiful jewelry. You can DIY rhinestone jewelry with paper beads by following our simple directions.

Required supplies:

• Colorful scrap paper
• White paper glue
• Mod Podge
• 12ss rhinestones
• Small beads
• Headpins
• 4 mm jump rings
• Earring wire
• Wooden skewer/knitting needle
• Jewelry pliers: round and flat nose

Generally, manufacturers make different rhinestone sizes varying from tiny 5ss to large 40ss crystals. For this project, the smaller sized rhinestones work better than larger ones. While I used the 12ss size, other smaller crystals will also work. However, some manufacturers limit the variety of colors in these smaller sizes.

Moreover, while resin, acrylic, and jelly rhinestones are the least expensive, they offer little sparkle. Although glass rhinestones have more sparkle, crystal produces the most eye-catching glitter.
​
​

How to Make Paper Beads

There are a few different bead shapes you can make. Usually, this depends on the shape of the paper you cut. For example, a rectangle piece of paper will make a tubular bead while a triangle will make a cone bead. Variations in these shapes will lead to interesting differences in the final product. The pink earrings have a triangle shape with a base of ¾ of an inch and sides 8 inches long.

1. Cut out your desired shape from your paper scraps.
2. Place the paper printed side down.
3. Begin ¼ inch from the base and spread the glue thinly.
4. Set your skewer on the unglued part and roll up the paper tightly.
5. Secure the paper end and remove the skewer.
6. After the glue has dried completely, seal with several coats of Mod Podge letting it dry between coats.
​

How to Make the Paper Bead Earrings With Crystal Bling

Once the last coat of Mod Podge is thoroughly dry, you're ready to glue rhinestones onto your paper bead. I like to use E6000 on my jewelry projects because of the strength of the bond. However, there are many other rhinestone glues you can choose to use.

When using E6000, I squeeze a small amount on a paper plate and apply it with a toothpick. You can also buy syringes to control the flow of this rhinestone glue. Always use in a well-ventilated area and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. 

After gluing the rhinestones to your paper beads, follow these steps to finish your earrings:

1. Slide a small bead, then a paper bead onto your head pin.

2. Make a loop at the top of the headpin using a round nose and flat pliers.
​
3. Attach the earring wire to the head pin loop using a 4mm jump ring.
​
4. Repeat the process for the other earring.

Unique and sparkly, our DIY rhinestone jewelry project is easy to make. Why not make several pairs to match different outfits? The sparkle from the crystals adds a beautiful touch of glamor.

Did you like our tutorial? Then share it with your friends and family!