The AfriBeads paper bead jewellery is all handmade in Uganda, Africa. Every item of jewellery has each bead made by hand, by the Afribeads Artisans.
Each Paper Bead is Hand Rolled
Each bead is hand rolled with paper. The paper is sourced from local paper warehouses, which upcycle old paper posters, marketing material and magazines. The women go to the warehouse and select the paper to make the beads.
The paper is cut into long, thin triangular shaped strips. Each bead is then hand rolled to the desired size and shape. The AfriBeads women have perfected rolling the beads to specific sizes and shapes for the different jewellery designs.
Painting and Lacquering of the Paper Beads
Once the beads are rolled, they are stringed and dipped in paint, if a specific colour is needed. Some designs let the colour of the paper show through, in which case they are not painted.
The beads are then dipped in lacquer to seal them and provide the finish.
Stringing the Paper Beads
The jewellery is then made by stringing the paper beads together. Small craft beads are used in between the paper beads for different designs and effects.
Sustainability of Paper Beads
Using upcycled paper to create the paper bead jewellery is a fantastic use of an existing sustainable resource. In addition to reducing waste by using paper that would otherwise be have to go through the process of recycling or end up in landfill, it reduces the consumption of energy required for the production of new beads from non-sustainable resources.
Meet the Makers
All of our jewellery includes the name of the person who made that item on the tag.
