So, how to make waist beads? Women of the Luo tribe of Kenya are known for their customary wearing of waist beads. The majority of the time, people wear waist beads for important events like weddings or festivals.
The only thing that may stop you from being creative with this item is a lack of imagination. However, there are precise standards for color combinations and patterns that vary according to the geographical area and family custom.
So let’s learn the right method to make waist beads!
About Waist Bead Culture
Women use beads around their waists to draw attention to their curves. The beads are often crafted from glass, gemstones, or metal, and wrapped around the waist to produce a more attractive figure.
Beads worn around the waist may also serve as a method of communication; Africans utilize the beads’ colors and patterns to convey different meanings.
The Origin of Waist Beads
The origin of waist beads can traced back to Africa, with some overlap occurring in Egypt as well. Waist beads, which we often refer to as belly chains, first appeared as a status symbol in Europe, somewhere around the 15th century. The indigenous had various beliefs about its applications and wonders.
It was common practice for traditional African women to wear them directly on their skin for a variety of reasons, including beauty, health, and keeping track of their weight. While belly dancing, Egyptian ladies wore these to attract males to themselves. People also believed that they could cure illnesses.
When combined with stones, waist beads served not only as an ornament but also as a spiritual healing tool. Beads worn around the waist have recently seen a surge in popularity, and people now wear them for a diverse range of purposes.
Beads have been worn around the waist by women in many different civilizations in the western and northern areas of Africa for many millennia. They achieved such a level of fame that only in recent years were they able to make their way to the Western region of the world.
People wear waistline beads as a sign of sensuality, spiritual wellbeing, fertility, and femininity in several West African nations, including Senegal, Cameroon, Nigeria, Mali, Benin, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Cape Verde, amongst others.
Beads are worn around the waist by modern-day ladies in Africa and the United States for the same reasons to enhance their beauty and for practical reasons.
What Are Waist Beads Used for?
People wear beads around their waists for a variety of purposes, each of which is unique and important in its own right. In many African regions, wearing waist beads is not just a fashion trend; the beads have distinct histories, meanings, and symbolism that are associated with them.
Although some people in modern times may refer to them as myths or superstition, there are several reasons why African tradition includes the wearing of waist beads:
To Signify Sensuality and Femininity
Africans often refer to beads worn around the waist to be “strands of femininity packed with color.” They are gorgeous, and one can’t help but get appealed. There is a variety of beads available for ladies of all ages, body types, and sizes.
Women in Ghana are encouraged to wear beads as part of their traditional attire. These beads serve several purposes, including displaying wealth, signifying femininity, and providing an anchoring mechanism for the clothing worn during menstruation.
To Raise Body Awareness
When assessing if a person has lost or gained weight, one might use waist beads, also known as belly beads, as a measuring device or tracker. Beads worn around the waist in Africa are custom-made to match the curve of a woman’s belly; any deviation from the traditional arrangement of the beads indicates a change in the person’s weight.
If you are losing size or weight, the beads that you’re wearing around your waist will roll lower; nevertheless, if you are gaining weight, they will become snugger around your waist.
Keep in mind that wearing African waist beads will not magically cause you to lose weight; rather, they should be worn as body trackers to serve as a gentle reminder to maintain a healthy weight.
As Signals of Marriage
In Ghana’s Krobo and Ashanti cultures, fertile women wear bells and bigger beads around their waists to alert potential suitors to the fact that they are ready for marriage.
As a Mark of Maturity
In societies that assign cultural significance to the wearing of waist beads, doing so is a way to demonstrate one’s level of physical and mental development. For example, when a girl reaches the age when she gets her first period, it is common practice in several cultures of West Africa for the girl’s mother to present her with a set of waist beads.
When you change waist beads, it represents moving on to the next chapter of your life. When a person reaches the age when they are no longer considered adolescents in their culture, they need to replace the beads.
Improving Posture
If you wear waist beads, you will become more conscious of how you stand and walk as a result. The beads will suit you in various ways depending on whether you are leaning against anything or sitting down straight.
This will help you know if you need to relax the muscles in your back or stomach, sit up straight, or breathe in a different manner.
Traditional Meaning of Waist Bead Colors
Brown means stability
Gold means good health, wealth, and power
Green means abundance, prosperity, fertility, and nature
Red means confidence
Turquoise means communication and self-awareness
White means purity, light, and truth
Yellow means energy, happiness, and joy
Black means power
Blue means truth and loyalty
Orange means courage, vitality, and self-confidence
Pink means love, care, kindness, and beauty
Purple means wisdom, royalty, and spirituality
How to Make Waist Beads for Weight Loss?
The beads worn around the waist do not work as a method of weight reduction. For example, you may pick a string that doesn’t stretch to keep your waist in check over time.
On the other hand, as was said before, it is preferable to make waist beads out of elastic material in general. The point of creating this piece of jewelry is to wear it and have fun with it, regardless of your size or the size of the person you are making it for.
How to Make African Waist Beads?
Beads worn around the waist are a relic of ancient West African culture that dates back centuries. Beads are more than just things to a great number of African cultures.
They are a significant indicator of one’s identity or standing in society. In the spirit of the African tradition, the following is a tutorial on how to make your waist beads:
Materials Required
- String/Nylon
- Pliers used for crimping
- Beads of one’s choice
- Lock of the lobster
- Jump rings
Crimp lock
Method
- Measure your waist.You may either use a measuring tape or a string of nylon to determine the exact position of the waist beads on your waist.
- Cut the string.After cutting the string or nylon, determine the circumference of your waist and add eight inches (or twenty centimeters) to this number. This will guarantee that you have sufficient thread left to secure the waist beads.
- Attach the crimp lock on the stringPut the jump ring on the string, followed by the crimp lock, and then loop the jump ring back through the crimp lock. Use your crimping pliers to make it as flat as possible. This is the first step you must do to guarantee that your beads do not accidentally fall.
- Adding the beadsYou may arrange the beads as you want until you are pleased with the design, and then continue to do so again and again until you have reached the circumference of your waist.
- Complete the locking procedureYou may use the crimping pliers to open your jump ring, and then you can connect the lobster clasp. After that, go back to step 3.
- The waist bead is ready to be worn.
How to Make Permanent Waist Beads?
Waist beads that we make out of elastic cord, transparent cord, or even cotton thread are all susceptible to breaking, and this will occur at some point.
A high-quality Nylon Cord, such as the Mandala Craft 1mm, is the most sturdy and long-lasting thread that you can use to tie on waist beads. The nylon cord is distinct from the others because you’ll have to pull it hard to detach it.
You can choose the length according to the size of your waist. Before beginning to bead, we advise that you coil two or more nylon cords on top of each other; doing so will result in a more durable waist bead.
Final Words
Since its beginnings, it is no surprise that African waist beads have attained such widespread popularity. These sophisticated fashion items that people can wear either inside or outside of clothing have garnered a lot of attention all around the world.
You have the option of purchasing ready-made waist beads, or you may build your own from scratch.