At our Kenya workshop we don’t make the individual paper beads. Instead, we buy hundreds of thousands of beads every month from a group of women in Uganda. We pay a fair price directly to the women who meticulously cut, roll and lacquer each bead. There’s no middle man so we can guarantee 100% of the money goes directly to the beaders. The beads are then brought to our workshop in Kenya and made into your one-of-a-kind wearable art. How the Paper Beads are Made Acacia Bead Rolling Every single paper bead is individually hand-cut, rolled and lacquered. The process begins by cutting a long, narrow triangular strip from the page of a magazine. The bead is then rolled from the base of the triangle and the tip is secured with a tiny bit of glue. It’s then dipped in clear varnish and left to dry. No color is added to the beads, so what you see is the actual coloring of the magazine page. Look closely and you’re likely to see text and other print. Our recycled paper beads are surprisingly lightweight and durable. We don’t suggest leaving them submerged in water for prolonged periods of time, but they hold up beautifully through regular handwashing, dishwashing, rain, etc!!