Oxbow Art Class Rips Into Paper Bead Making Aug. 15
PORT ST. LUCIE – Here’s a great recycling tip for those old catalogs, magazines and scrap paper — make beautiful paper beads that can be used to create featherweight necklaces, bracelets or earrings. Join the Treasure Coast Art Association at the Oxbow Eco-Center and learn how to make these unique masterpieces on Saturday, Aug. 15 from 10 a.m. to noon.
Making paper beads is a traditional craft that goes back as far as the Victorian age when scraps of wallpaper were used, and then polished with bees wax to make door curtains. The art was revived in the 1920s and 1930s for jewelry making. Today, paper bead making has been turned into cooperatives in developing countries like Uganda where women are taught the art of bead making, as well as the skills to launch a business, open a bank account, and manage money.
The Treasure Coast Art Association’s Barbara Fuller and Debbie Perdue will guide participants in making a variety of beautiful beads. The cost of the class is $20, which includes all necessary materials. The class is appropriate for ages 10 and older. Please make reservations early at 772-785-5833 or oxbow@stlucieco.org.
Don’t consider yourself an artist? Well don’t give up yet, making paper beads may just help you discover your creative spirit!
The Oxbow Eco-Center is a St. Lucie County Environmental Learning Center located at 5400 N.E. St. James Drive in Port St. Lucie. For the full calendar of Oxbow events, visit www.oxboweco.com.
Situated on a 225-acre preserve on the North Fork of the St. Lucie River, the Oxbow offers a rare glimpse of “the real Florida” with nature trails, boardwalks, observation towers and an interactive environmental learning center.
