I stumbled onto making paper beads about a year ago. One of the best things about paper beads is that they are beautiful and are pretty much free!
There are several artists and sites that show how to make paper beads using paper mache or paper pulp. Even though some of these sites have a been around for a while, they really are worth looking at.
Here are some great sites with tutorials for making beads out of paper mache.
1. The folks at A Storybook Life have tutorial on making round beads from basically paper mache. After painting and varnishing, the beads have a very earthy pebble look to them. See the tutorial: How to Make Paper Beads from Recycled Newpaper
2. From Rags to Couture made beautiful round beads from paper mache, too. These were a lot smoother for a more uniform look. See the tutorial: Paper Mache Beads – Homemade Beads DIY Tutorial
3. Crafting Aberringines takes a different route than the 2 tutorials above and adds paint directly to the paper mache. She also dries the paper mache on a knitting needle so that you don’t have to drill a hole afterwards. See the tutorial: Paper Mache Bead Tutorial