Vicki
Girls With Guns Member
Hi everyone! probably many of you know I make paper beads and have been doing that for quite a few years. I make all kinds of jewelry with them and hair sticks. I have accumulated quite a few beads as I must of been on a binge making them during past winter months so I decided to try something new. I have a fairly wide doorway that is used constantly where I've often thought of putting a french door but didn't want to block it because of so much use. I thought I'd try making a paper bead curtain to hang there. Beaded curtains were very popular in the past and I have always wanted one so... I took pictures as I created. No pattern in mind, just trying to figure out what would work with the doorway.
In the pictures I post below, I'll try to give a brief description of what I did and how it ended up. I started the project on Nov 1st and took a little over a week break when I ran out of the glass ball beads I used on the top, bottom and a couple in between the long strands. I found more of the same beads and resumed working on it finishing last evening, the 20th. A few of the pictures are blurry or just not very good but it is all I have to show the progression. I also took front and back pictures.
I first decided to make some larger longer beads (over an inch) so it would make the job easier. I also took two sample squares of upholstery material and cut them in strips to make the top rod pocket of the curtain. I hand sewed a strip of the material used under drawers or rugs so they don't slide tight to the bottom of the upholstery material. That material has little open squares I could measure from and attach to so that's what I did.
The first pictures are of the beads I had and the longer beads I made.
The next three pictures show the progression of first making a couple of strands for the full length of the doorway to the right and then going back to the middle and getting the length where we didn't have to duck under the beads.
The width of the curtain is 46 inches across with strands one inch apart. 46 strands. The length in the center is 9 1/2 inches and the far sides are 78 inches.
In the pictures I post below, I'll try to give a brief description of what I did and how it ended up. I started the project on Nov 1st and took a little over a week break when I ran out of the glass ball beads I used on the top, bottom and a couple in between the long strands. I found more of the same beads and resumed working on it finishing last evening, the 20th. A few of the pictures are blurry or just not very good but it is all I have to show the progression. I also took front and back pictures.
I first decided to make some larger longer beads (over an inch) so it would make the job easier. I also took two sample squares of upholstery material and cut them in strips to make the top rod pocket of the curtain. I hand sewed a strip of the material used under drawers or rugs so they don't slide tight to the bottom of the upholstery material. That material has little open squares I could measure from and attach to so that's what I did.
The first pictures are of the beads I had and the longer beads I made.
The next three pictures show the progression of first making a couple of strands for the full length of the doorway to the right and then going back to the middle and getting the length where we didn't have to duck under the beads.
The width of the curtain is 46 inches across with strands one inch apart. 46 strands. The length in the center is 9 1/2 inches and the far sides are 78 inches.