Mixed-Color Fabric-Wrapped Bead Collar Necklace

• Hand-wrapped fabric-covered beads
• Upcycled wood and textile materials
• Adjustable memory-wire coil
• Mixed gemstone accents
• One-of-a-kind bead placement

Each bead is individually wrapped by hand from scrap fabric, so color placement and pattern will vary from the piece shown.

Each bead begins as a scrap of leftover garment or sari fabric, cut into a narrow strip and wound tightly around a small wood core salvaged from furniture offcuts. The raw edges are tucked in so the cloth lies smooth against the bead. No two beads use the same scrap.

The wrapped beads are strung along a coiled memory wire alongside polished chips of tiger's eye, carnelian and onyx — accent stones common in South Asian beadwork, where they anchor the softer fabric with a harder, more reflective surface. The strand closes with a small gold-tone hook.

The technique sits inside a regional habit of turning leftover cloth into something new rather than discarding it — the same instinct behind kantha textiles pieced from worn saris. The necklace is made by women artisans in India working under fair-trade conditions.

• Technique: Fabric-wrapped beadwork from upcycled textile scraps

Wipe clean with a soft dry cloth. Keep away from water, perfume and lotion to protect the fabric-wrapped beads, and store flat so the memory-wire coil holds its shape.