Wooden beads have been used by jewelry makers and for the purpose of adorning clothing for centuries. Many people think of glass, porcelain, and ceramic beads when choosing items that will last, but don’t overlook wooden beads if you want an item to last indefinitely.
When people think of wood, they often think of the fact that wood tends to deteriorate over time. Wood deterioration is usually caused by exposure to the elements and not by the composition of the material. Wooden beads can last a lifetime, or many lifetimes, if the material is properly prepared.
These craft pieces can be made from very thin pieces of wood or they can be made from thick pieces. If you want a bead that is harder to break, you should get the thickest ones you can find. Thinner beads will be easier to break if dropped, stepped on, or sat on.
Wooden beads must be covered with a protector so that they last a long time. This doesn’t mean you can’t have the natural look; it simply means that a sealer will need to be applied so that the wood is not subject to moisture in the air or strong sunlight.
You can apply paint to seal these pieces of wood or a clear sealer. Most sealers will leave the pieces with a slight shine. You can apply more coats of the clear sealers if you want a higher amount of shine on the pieces. You can also stain the wood before applying the sealer so you get the color you like best.
If you have wood jewelry and it’s starting to lose some of its brilliant shine, you can apply a coat of sealer to it and bring the shine back. As long as you can see the shine of your wooden jewelry, it will be protected from moisture in the air and will last a long time.
Ceramic beads, glass beads, and porcelain beads are much easier to damage than the wooden varieties. Even plastic beads cannot have the same strength as a wooden one that has exactly the same dimensions. By choosing to use pieces of wood, you get some of the strongest jewelry and most durable items.
Wood pieces are less expensive than many of the other types of bead materials. Some bead artisans even make their own wooden pieces out of sticks they find in their own yards. You can take a small stick about an inch in diameter, peel back the bark to reveal the wood, drill a hole to accommodate the necklace chain, bake it to harden and dry, and then seal it to make unique items. They only cost a few cents each.
Wood is a great material to use for crafting because it is natural, hypoallergenic, durable, and reasonably priced.