How to Make Wampum Beads

By Society & Culture & Entertainment Last updated Wednesday, June/12/2024

1). Use the hammer to crack the shells into pieces. You want to try to make pieces that are approximately one inch long and half an inch wide.
2). Brace a one-inch-by-one-half-inch-sized shell shard into your vice or willow branch setup.
3). Drill a small hole through the shell piece. Drilling should be done before any sanding, so you do not spend a long time polishing the bead only to have it crack during the drilling process.
4). Round and polish the bead using ever-decreasing grits of sandpaper or stone.
5). Make a project using your new beads. Wampum beads can be woven into belts, bracelets, necklaces and more. For information about wampum and it's traditional uses, visit the website in the References section below.