| Wood is generally easy to find and work with | | | | dedicated artists here in America and |
| so wherever wood is found you will find | | | | elsewhere who revel in making their own |
| wooden beads. Regional carpenters and carvers | | | | wooden beads. These artists collect exotic |
| use the most readily available species of | | | | woods from around the world and carve |
| wood and beadmaking itself was used as | | | | exquisite and unique types. |
| exercises for apprentices or as spare time | | | | |
| work for journeymen or masters. This wide | | | | Making wooden beads yourself is not difficult |
| variety of woodworkers and woods makes for an | | | | however, the process is involved and tedious. |
| astonishing variety of forms, sizes, and | | | | Modern tools are a big help and modern |
| types of wood beads. | | | | manufacturing processes are efficient and |
| | | | inexpensive. Carving beads on a modern lathe |
| Unfortunately, because these wooden beads are | | | | goes fairly fast and once carved, they are |
| so common they are taken for granted. The | | | | sanded, painted, and allowed to dry. Many |
| amount of printed material on the subject of | | | | companies produce beads in just this manner. |
| wood beads is few and far between and the | | | | |
| study of common wood beads is not considered | | | | The original method is somewhat more |
| a proper subject for serious bead | | | | involved. It starts by gathering twigs, which |
| researchers. Much of the background for this | | | | can be done as part of fall pruning. Most |
| article was found on the World Wide Web as | | | | fruit trees will work well for beads and |
| advertising banners. Other sources on the Web | | | | their wood is fragrant (modern manufacturers |
| treat wood beads as adjunct to information on | | | | generally use fir or bass wood). To make your |
| prayer beads or abacus', because they | | | | own beads you will need pruning shears, a pen |
| incorporate wooden beads into the finished | | | | knife, a small craft drill or pin drill, a |
| product. | | | | file, paint or stain and acrylic sealant. |
| | | | |
| Types of Wood Used | | | | After you prune your tree, choose twigs that |
| | | | are less than half an inch in diameter, peel |
| Many species of trees provide material for | | | | the bark off the twigs and if the bark sticks |
| wood beads. These include olive, sandalwood, | | | | scrape it away with the pen knife. Once the |
| bamboo, bayong, ebony, ironwood, palm, apple, | | | | bark is off, use the pruning shears to cut |
| pear, and rose, to name but a few. All of | | | | the twigs to the approximate size beads you |
| these types of wood have been used for beads | | | | want or perhaps a little larger. This will |
| either because the grain of the wood is | | | | give you an idea of how the finished beads |
| beautiful or because the wood is aromatic. | | | | will look. |
| | | | |
| Olive trees have a natural red grain that is | | | | The next step is to drill out the pulpy |
| wavy and the heart wood darkens and hardens | | | | center of the twig. Use the smallest drill |
| with age to produce an elegant pattern. The | | | | bit you have and in this case the smaller the |
| heart wood comes from olive trees which are | | | | better. Hold the bead steady and start |
| pruned each year after harvest and the pruned | | | | drilling out the core slowly and carefully. |
| wood is used for decorative carvings and | | | | This should not be done with power tools, do |
| beads. | | | | it by hand. It is a tedious, slow process and |
| | | | unless you're careful the bead will be |
| Sandalwood Beads | | | | ruined. |
| | | | |
| Sandalwood beads are light both in color and | | | | Now the wood has to dry thoroughly, which is |
| weight and they have a distinctive soothing | | | | another tedious step. Set the beads in a dry |
| aroma. Among Hindus, sandalwood is believed | | | | open space for three to seven days depending |
| to bring clear perception to the wearer. | | | | on how much moisture the wood holds. Once |
| | | | they are dried out they are ready to shape. |
| Rosewood Beads | | | | Now that the wood is dry, file off the sharp |
| | | | edges and use the file to create the final |
| Rosewood is great for making beads, it is | | | | shape. It's probably best to go with round or |
| dark and heavy and dense and its grain | | | | oval for your first batch and as you become |
| appears in subtle lines of black and dark | | | | more accustomed to shaping the wood you can |
| brown. Rosewood beads are said to strengthen | | | | create more complex shapes. |
| the aura and ward away negative energy. | | | | |
| | | | The last step is coloring your new beads. |
| Wooden beads are cherished for a variety of | | | | Thread them on a temporary string, fishing |
| reasons beside beauty and aroma. Some woods | | | | line works well. In a small container thin |
| are prized because they are considered sacred | | | | some acrylic craft paint with water and dip |
| like that of the bodhi tree, where the Buddha | | | | the beads into this mixture, the wood will |
| found enlightenment. | | | | absorb the paint. After you remove the beads, |
| | | | wipe away any excess paint with a soft cloth |
| Most exotic wood beads originate in the | | | | then allow them to dry completely and seal |
| middle-east or southern Asia, but Europe is | | | | them with the acrylic sealant spray. Staining |
| also a source of wood beads, the Czech | | | | will bring out the grain in the wood and the |
| Republic produces inexpensive pine and bass | | | | acrylic sealant will prevent the color from |
| wood beads for children's toys or macramé | | | | coming off the beads. Remove the temporary |
| crafters as well as inexpensive wood beads | | | | string and your new wooden beads are ready to |
| you'd find in bead shops worldwide. | | | | use. |
| | | | |
| As with all forms of beads there are a few | | | | Happy Bead Making! |