Whether they are crafted from plastic, wood, bone, shell, glass or almost any material imaginable, beads have activated the hoarding instinct in humans for thousands of years with their various shapes, textures and unique cultural histories.
Throughout history, beads were valued for their portability, which allowed people to carry their wealth on their bodies, said Phil Berry, co-owner of Beads & Things, 8 N. Shafer St.
Chevron beads, made from a minimum of seven layers of glass, were traded in Africa for their weight in gold, Berry said.
Beads have a very fascinating past, said Jo Merkle, co-owner of Beads & Things. They delve into the lifestyles of ancient cultures and can reveal the types of tools its people developed and their systems of trade. They were frequently buried with the dead, Merkle said.
These days, beading has a fairly constant following. Beads & Things, Athens' main resource for beading supplies and techniques, has been open for 16 years, Berry said.
The desire to collect beads, almost like a crow's instinct to accumulate shiny materials, is probably ingrained is us, said Mary Anne Erwin, a former employee of Beads & Things who helps out on Saturdays.
They are really a primal thing
she said.
Beads & Things carries an array of beads from countries all over the world, including Africa, China, India, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic ' and beads made in Athens, Berry said.
Almost anything can be used to create beads, even recycled materials such as glass or broken beads, which are melted down to form new ones, Berry said.
Basically anything that has a hole in it is a bead said Marie Williams, who teaches glass bead-making classes at the Dairy Barn, 8000 Dairy Lane.
Although she makes her own beads and jewelry, Williams also collects other artists' beads. She does not use them to make jewelry, but rather she likes to admire her collection, which she will one day pass on to her daughters, Williams said.
The creative process of jewelry making draws many people into beading, Berry said. People like it when others ask them where they got their jewelry.
If you can thread a needle you can bead
he said.
The techniques involved in jewelry making are pretty basic and can even be self-taught, Williams said.
I am not artistic at all
said Yuki Goto, an Ohio University linguistics graduate student.
Since she tried jewelry making at Beads and Things, Goto has been returning almost every week, she said. She prefers to give the creations to her friends because it is satisfying to see people wearing her work, she said.
The techniques can be tricky at first for beginners but become second nature once you learn them, said Beth Comer, an OU senior creative writing major.
Comer enjoys making unique jewelry to coordinate with her outfits, she said.
It is a nice hobby and a nice way to relax
said Allison Wright, a senior hearing and speech sciences major.
She makes decorations for her apartment, such as the beaded window hangings she was stringing at Beads & Things. Homemade jewelry always makes a good gift because it is so personalized, Wright said.
The employees of Beads & Things informally coach customers through the jewelry making process at the store to at least get them started, Berry said. They have found that their method is a good way for people to learn to bead instead of taking formal lessons.
Beads can cost anywhere from a penny per bead to $12 for one of the more elaborately made beads, Berry said. A pair of earrings can be made for less than $1.
It just depends on what kind of look you want to create. You've just got to play
he said.
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Meghan McNamara
