How to Make a Round Beaded Indian Necklace

Round beaded necklaces are a fundamental element of Native American jewelry.

Making a round beaded Indian necklace provides amateur jewelry artisans with a simple project and gives more experienced bead stringers the opportunity to create jewelry using natural materials and honor Native American traditions. True Indian beaded necklaces are made from natural materials, and seeking out these materials offers the chance to commune with nature, a practice considered important in Native American life for every area from gathering food to practicing religion.

Things You'll Need

• Round beads
• Towel
• Beading awl
• Spray lacquer
• Leather cord
• Measuring tape
• Scissors
• Adhesive

Instructions

1. Gather natural beads from your yard by selecting seeds, corn and berries around trees and shrubs.

2. Clean off the dirt on these round beads using a small towel. Dampen the towel to remove persistent dirt. Bore a hole through the center of each bead with an awl and apply a coat of clear lacquer to each bead to protect it against decomposition and insects.

3. Arrange beads into an alternating pattern that emphasizes the array of colors found in nature.

4. Cut leather cord to a length of 30 inches. Knot one end.

5. String beads onto the cord until the string is full. Knot the ends of the cord together and secure the knot with adhesive. Allow to dry before wearing.

Tips & Warnings

• Experienced artisans can experiment with variations on the simple necklace by adding cascading layers of strung beads to cover the front of the chest, or creating beaded dream catchers to thread on at intervals in the bead pattern.

References

• Making Friends: Native American Necklace
• Native Languages: Jewelry