Making Potato Beads

6 Materials
$6
2 Weeks
Easy

It may sound a little crazy...well, a lot crazy, but you can make beads from potatoes. You won't believe how great they can look! You'll be the only one knows they are potatoes!

Give it a try...all you can lose are a few potatoes!

Grab a potato or three...

Begin by peeling and cutting the potatoes in half.

Next cut the halves down into interesting shaped chunks ~

a little larger than you would like to allow for some shrinkage.

Put the beads on bamboo skewers.

Let them dry out completely, which usually takes a few days to a week.

Or if your impatient ;)

you can dry them in your oven at 200°F for three hours or until dry and hard.

Once the beads are dry, you can remove them from the skewers and paint by hand with one or two coats of acrylic paint.


 Be sure to let dry completely between each coat. 


Alternately, you can leave them on the skewers and spray paint them, again being sure to allow to dry between coats. 

Once your done painting follow with a couple coats of sealer.

I used Rust-oleum Ultra Cover in Clear Gloss. 

Again be sure to let dry completely between each coat. 

Your beads are ready to be used as you desire, strung into a gorgeous inexpensive room divider or doorway hanging.  I decided to make napkin rings.


You use as you would any other bead.

You can make the "chunks" any shape you'd like.


I threaded them, along with other "regular" beads I had, on linen cording.


When they were the correct size, I tried them on a napkin to be sure,I knotted the ends of the cording together.



That's it. Easy peasy!

I whipped up some more.

I even added some charms on these!You're only limit is your imagination.They would look amazing coordinated with your table setting!


Not bad for a potato huh?


To see more infos and photos pop over to my blog

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Debbie/Dragonfly Treasure
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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  1 question
  • Thea Thea on May 22, 2020

    Debbie, how did you get the white speckles on the green beads and the multicoloured effect on the far right string?

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