Four-Strand Kantha Fabric Bead Necklace

• Four-strand layered design
• Hand-wrapped kantha fabric beads
• Made from repurposed textile scraps
• Brass chain with 3 in extender
• No two beads patterned exactly alike

Every bead is wrapped from a different scrap of recycled fabric, so the color placement and pattern on each strand vary slightly from piece to piece.

Kantha is a running-stitch textile tradition from the Bengal region, historically used to layer worn cotton saris and dhotis into quilts and wraps. The impulse is reuse: cloth that would otherwise be discarded gets a second life as something durable.

The beads here take that instinct in a different direction. Recycled cotton strips, cut from sari and garment scraps, are wound tightly around a wooden core until the pattern sits flat on the surface — one bead at a time, one scrap at a time, with no two wraps landing the same way twice.

Strung four strands deep and finished with brass chain, the result reads as a patchwork in miniature: dozens of different textiles sitting side by side across the neckline.

• Technique: Recycled kantha fabric beadwork

Keep away from water, perfume and other chemicals. Wipe with a soft dry cloth and store flat in a dry place.