Wooden Beads for Bracelets, Charms and Jewellery

Wood is one of the few materials you can work with without special tools — on many designs the wide hole lets you pass cord or yarn straight through, and the light weight keeps the finished piece comfortable. If you’re just starting out, wooden beads are a good beginning: forgiving for beginners, but still interesting for experienced makers after an organic texture in their projects.

Which type of wooden bead to choose

Each type has its strengths. Here’s a quick guide to make choosing easy:

Beads come in natural wood and painted finishes — white, pink, red, green, purple and more. Matte surfaces absorb light and look richer; glossy ones reflect and look brighter, a difference most visible in reds and blues. Slight shade variation between batches is normal.

What they’re used for

• Personalised bracelets and gifts — engraved tags carry a name, date or message. Perfect for a christening, a name day or a personal gift.
• Spring charms — the beads have a natural look and pair well with a red-and-white cord, yarn and small wooden figures.
• Boho and folk bracelets and necklaces — wooden beads add a warm, natural look and combine easily with leather, cotton, suede and metal.
• Earrings — light even in a larger size, so they won’t drag on the ear over a full day.
• Children’s projects and classroom activities — the larger children’s wooden figures are easy for small hands to use.
• Seasonal decorations — for Christmas and Easter.

How to choose

Two details decide most of the result — size and hole.

Size and shape. For bracelets, 8–10 mm rounds are the easiest to string and won’t weigh the wrist down. For necklaces, go larger at 10–14 mm, or mix rounds with ovals, cylinders and discs. For charms and children’s projects, lighter rounds and figures are more practical, since they won’t drag the cord down.

What to combine them with

Wondering what else you’ll need? Here you’ll find everything to get your project started:

Cords and clasps

the base and the finish

Natural stones

lava and hematite for contrast

Acrylic paint and varnish

for the unpainted figures

Frequently asked questions