Four Ideas For Printed Shell Bead Craft
The original printed shell beads were hand carved from sea shells by Native Americans dating back hundreds of years ago, back to the time before the white man began settling the land, and pushing the natives out. They used them for trading purposes, in lieu of money, and also as decorative additions to the items they made by hand. Gift giving has always been a highly held tradition among the tribes, and giving handmade treasures with these beads was among the best of their efforts. Today, the traditions live on, and tribal works using these beads are sold to raise money to help reservation children the education they deserve, among other needs.
Medallions
One popular craft using printed shell beads that is still being done today is the creation of spirit medallions, pendants to be worn around the neck as protection. Using small, seed bead sized shells, designs depicting the four winds, the elements and totem creatures are drawn, and then stitched onto stretched pieces of softened leather. The easiest design is that of the four winds, a matched pair of arrows, lying across one another.
Medicine Drums
Using small swatches of scrap leather and cord, Native American crafters will stitch them together around an old tin can or bowl that they are recycling. Threaded through each piece of material making up the drumhead is a length of cord, whose sole purpose is to keep the drumhead tight, and ready to use. Anchoring that cord, and used to draw it tighter, are printed shell beads, usually in the shape of sacred totems, like Crow, Wolf or Bear.
Dreamcatchers
One of the most popular crafts done today with printed shell beads has to be the dreamcatcher. Made in a variety of sizes, from large enough to hang on a wall, to so small it can be worn as an earring or pendant, it only looks complicated. If you can weave or crochet, you can make a dreamcatcher. Taking a wooden hoop, like an old embroidery hoop, or lampshade harp, wrap a length of leather cord around it, until every inch of it is covered. Next, you will anchor four lengths of string, one at the top, bottom and one on each side, like a compass.
Weave each string through and around each other, creating a kind of spider web pattern within the hoop. As you near the center, add and anchor small printed shell beads, one facing each cardinal direction. Keep weaving, and join all of the threads in the center with one last bead.
Necklaces
Lastly, you can make some beautiful necklaces using beads of turquoise, silver spacers, and as a finishing touch a large shell bead pendant. The most popular pendants used are carved and printed to represent animal totems sacred to that tribe. Eagle, Wolf, Bear, Turtle, Coyote, Crow and rabbit, are all popular choices for these necklaces.
