How Are Wooden Beads Made?

History of Wooden Beads

Throughout history, wooden beads have held symbolic meaning. In some cultures in southern Asia, they are used in prayers because of the aroma of the wood. The scent of the wood native to the area is said to help monks and prayer seekers meditate. In some African cultures, wooden beads are symbols of rank. The ranks are distinguished by color and shape. Beads and necklaces are used during ceremonies, such as weddings and funerals.

Collect Twigs

The process of making wooden beads begins with collecting twigs and small pieces of wood from around trees or driftwood from beaches. The size of the twigs should be around 1/2-inch thick. Each type of wood will make a slightly different bead in color and texture, so choose the wood based on what type of bead you want. Usually mass-bead manufacturers make beads out of fir trees.

Remove Bark

After the beads are collected, the bark of the tree is removed. A pen knife is the preferred tool to use if you're going to do it by hand. The knife is moved down the bark in a sweeping pattern to scrape the bark off the wood in straight lines to make the bark come off in panels that can be used as additional decorations for beads.

Cut Twig

After the bark is removed, the twig is cut into sections. Depending on the size of the desired bead, the sections can be large or small. Keep in mind that the section is always larger than the desired bead because the smoothing process shrinks the twig. If you have not anticipated for the reduction, the bead size will be off.

Remove Pulp

When the twig is cut into sections, a hole is made in the pulp part of the section. This hole has to be made manually because power tools would destroy the twig.

Drying the Wood

The last step in the process is to let the beads sit for several days while they are dried out. The drying-out process takes several days because if anything other than outside air is used, the twig can be damaged, misshapen, cracked or lose its color and texture.

Shaping

After the twig sections have been dried by the open air, a small file is moved in a circular motion to smooth the edges of the sections to shape the bead. The majority of wooden beads are shaped into circles or ovals.

Coloring

When the shape of the bead is the way the shaper wants it to be, dust the shavings off the bead. After the bead has been shaped, the bead is either left as is to be strung onto a necklace, or a paint/stain is applied to the bead to add color or to manipulate the tint of the wood. Either way, a sealant--usually acrylic--is applied to the bead to seal the pores of the dry wood. Sealing the pores prevents damage to or decomposition of the wood. The seal also provides a film of protection to the wood.