DIY: Tape Straw Beads

I thought using colored tape would be an easy way to decorate “straw beads” that could be used in making costume jewelry.

I chose black masking tape (½ inch wide) as the base color for my beads and silver metallic film tape (½ inch wide) as my accent color.

SUPPLIES

• Drinking straws
• Scissors
• Colored tapes

DIRECTIONS

— 1 —

If you’re using bendy straws, cut the straight ends away from the bendy section.

— 2 —

Pull out a length of tape.

— 3 —

Place the straw on top of the tape, lengthwise.

— 4 —

Cut the tape.

— 5 —

Adhere the tape edges to the straw.

— 6 —

Repeat Steps 2-5 on the other side of the straw to cover the rest of the straw (if necessary).

If you prefer, use a tape with a wider width to cover the straw in one length of tape to decrease the number of steps.

— 7 —

Trim the end of the straw to even out any excess tape over the end.

— 8 —

Cut beads from that straw. Use a ruler for exact measurements, or use a cut bead as a template for the length of the following beads.

And remember to trim any excess tape on the other side of the straw (if that section is being used in a straw bead).

— 9 —

Adhere the second tape as an accent color to the straw beads.

I cut a length of tape that was long enough to go around the straw bead (around ¾ inch), and then wrapped that tape around straw bead.

I also tried to have the ends of the tape (for the base and accent color) end on the same side of the straw bead.

— 10 —

Repeat Steps 1-9 to create the number of desired beads.

For directions on how to make an elastic bracelet (seen in the first photo) with the Tape Straw Beads, go here. 

There are many patterns you could create in this elastic bracelet (e.g. zigzag, blocks of color, lines)—I played with the beads until I settled on my repeating pattern. I placed the silver tape at the end of the straw bead for two thirds of the beads, and placed the silver tape at the center for one third of the beads. I ordered them: silver at bottom end, silver at the center and then silver at the top end and repeated this pattern. Alternatively, you can place colored tape randomly to create a free-form look to the beads.

Recommended: order the beads the way you want them before you thread them. Select a side (top or bottom of the bead) to thread the elastic line through first and thread all the following beads from that side first; this should keep the pattern or order of the beads you have chosen to remain correct as you thread them.