I had an idea. 

I bought the Vogue September 2013 issue this year. I was done with it and I was going to recycle it. But then I thought, hmmm, maybe I could do something with this.

I wanted to turn this massive tome into a garment somehow. But how.

This is where it all started.

This is where it all started.

My sister gave me a little craft set for making paper beads. Hmmm again. Could I turn this entire Vogue September 2013 issue into paper beads? I decided to give it a go.

The first few beads. There are many more to come, as you can see.

The first few beads. There are many more to come, as you can see.

So I kept on rolling. And rolling. And rolling. The metal rod you see is one of the mandrels I use for lampworking.

More beads. With awesome Tom Ford dresses about to be rolled up into beads.

More beads. With awesome Tom Ford dresses about to be rolled up into beads.

Finished rolling! The end of the book.

Finished rolling! The end of the book.

All the beads are done. Now what. How to assemble this into a garment. I wanted to keep this as an art piece I could maybe hang on the wall as well as a potentially wearable thing. I was thinking "Elizabethan collar" for some reason. But that needed a lot of architecture and I'm not that skilled. So I decided to make a boa. A paper bead boa. I Googled it, and I couldn't find anything. If you've made one before this, please let me know. Proof as of this writing: only one Google result!

googleResult.png

After a couple misfires, I settled on a technique I learned from the fabulous artist Stephanie Sersich. I braided a core of cotton string, then I did a circular macrame stitch around that core to form the "spine" of the garment. Like this. It's about 8 feet long.

This is the braided core of cotton string at the center of the boa.

This is the braided core of cotton string at the center of the boa.

You can see the macrame spine. And I have added a bunch of beads. I started with the mostly white ones.

You can see the macrame spine. And I have added a bunch of beads. I started with the mostly white ones.

Here's a closeup of the beads. You can see the page footer text that says "Vogue September 2013".

Here's a closeup of the beads. You can see the page footer text that says "Vogue September 2013".

Once I had a bunch of white beads added, I started on the other end with the mostly black beads. I was getting worried that I wouldn't have enough beads to make the boa evenly covered along its entire length. I shouldn't have worried.

Once I had a bunch of white beads added, I started on the other end with the mostly black beads. I was getting worried that I wouldn't have enough beads to make the boa evenly covered along its entire length. I shouldn't have worried.

Getting near the end. Spike just wants it off the ottoman so she can lay there instead.

Getting near the end. Spike just wants it off the ottoman so she can lay there instead.

And here it is. By the way, it weighs about 3 pounds.

I still have the empty shell of the cover. Haven't decided what to do with it yet.

I still have the empty shell of the cover. Haven't decided what to do with it yet.

Here it is, wrapped around my neck. I'd like to have a professional photograph made. My selfie doesn't do it justice.

Here it is, wrapped around my neck. I'd like to have a professional photograph made. My selfie doesn't do it justice.

March 29, 2014 update: I have a few new photos, taken by my hubby. I submitted my paper bead boa for the Weatherspoon Art Museum's Art on Paper 2014 show. Wish me luck!