Beads…..

Lighted aquarium, shimmering lights, wood set, all these are beads you can wear to match any occasion or mood They were once a preserve of our fore fathers and women made them using clay, seeds, bones and brass but today, every girl owns at least one beaded piece of jewellery. Made of glass, plastic or wood, beads define our culture and stand for our country’s transition into the modern world by their evolutionary designs.

Although they have a deep heritage in African traditional culture, beads worn today are anything but traditional. They stand for style, taste and colour A scan around the city can reveal rings, belts, necklaces, bracelets and anklets made from an assortment of beads to suit every occasion and setting. The following are a few tips on wearing beads.

For a funeral, stick to black beads. They reveal a sense of occasion while keeping you beautiful and stylish White and bright coloured beads are suitable for weddings and parties and to give an air of style, experiment with a variety of sizes. However, a word of caution, when choosing size, keep in mind the frame of your body to avoid looking unproportional.

Also, match beads with the rest of your clothing It is advisable not to dash colours but to adorn colours that match with your skin and clothing.
For example, if you are wearing a blue ‘kitenge’, wear blue or black beads If your skin is dark in colour, wear beads with a dark shade like brown. However, if you’re having trouble choosing a suitable colour, take along a friend or consult your bead provider as they’ve probably had a taste of beading style.

In selecting beads, also consider the material used to make the beads. Is it from shells, animal teeth or hooves? These tend to be more expensive than plastic or wooden beads so you should be even keener to choose a bead that will give you value for your money.

When applying beads on the hair, put the snap on the end with an easy header, add to the stem in the reverse order then take the end of the braid, and insert into the eye of the header. Make sure that it is the thinner end of the braid and push the bead up through the braids which will have to fold so as to fit through the bead holes As you wear the beads, it’s appropriate to chose different designs like: zigzag, banana style etc.

END: PG35/22