Beading Projects for Patients, Families and Individuals

When I first saw a small article on "courage beads," it was in a small pamphlet distributed in the break room where I work. I was touched by the idea: cancer patients create chains of beads (necklaces, bracelets, or just chains). It's a simple craft that can be done by most patients. Some patients choose to add one bead each day. The bead is chosen to represent the day. Perhaps a red bead is a day when bloodwork was done, a blue one represents a bad day, and green symbolizes feeling stronger. The craft becomes a visual representation of the healing process. It's such an empowering idea that I can't help but explore other potential uses.

Because I have had an affiliation with many people diagnosed with emotional disorders, I immediately associated this craft with bipolar disorder. Those with bipolar disorder, or BPD, are often asked to keep a journal of their feelings to help identify and distinguish periods of depression and mania. However, these things are difficult to quantify. Journaling can seem like a daunting task.

Why not create "history beads" to record emotions? Choose a variety of beads and assign each one an emotion. Be sure to include beads that represent triggers - events or experiences that create a change in disposition. Choose a neutral bead to place between days. Add as many beads as are necessary, separating them with "day" beads. The resulting string can be a very helpful tool when discussing symptoms with a therapist, psychiatrist or medical doctor. Journals typically ask you to rate your feelings on a scale. Beading provides a visual record of the day.

Keep track of the stages of your pregnancy with a beaded craft. Use a bead for each day from the time that you become aware that you will be adding to your family until the child's birth. If nothing of real import happens on a particular day, use a neutral bead. Use other beads to designate milestones. If you choose to learn the baby's gender, mark that day with a pink or blue bead. Make note of the day of your baby shower, the first ultrasound, the first kick. You may be too overwhelmed, fatigued or physically strained to write in a journal, but placing a bead is as easy as taking a vitamin.

Why stop there? Use beads to document the first years of your little one's life. Marking milestones is one way of celebrating them. And when your baby isn't a baby anymore, he may appreciate looking at the beads and watching himself grow. Again, this craft makes record-keeping easy. Photographs tend to scatter around the house and fall into shoe boxes. They may not even be taken. After all, a camera is easily forgotten among juice boxes, first-aid kits, baby wipes and all of the other accouterments of parenthood.

We all have goals. Try marking yours with this simple beaded project. Every day that you add money to your savings, go for a brisk walk in the park, sort out the recyclables or make a donation to your favorite charity, add a bead. When you feel down, you can look back at your string of beads and remind yourself of those victories.

One word of warning: only use positive colors in your project. Recording the days when you didn't manage to stay away from a plate of sweets at the office or couldn't squeeze in an hour of volunteer work will do you no good. It will only serve to minimize your progress. If you fall into a guilt trap, you will abandon your project and loose sight of your goals.

Children may love using beads to mark their grades or piggy bank donations. They may even want to keep track of playtimes, using a different color for boardgames, tea parties and alien adventures. Allowing them to record the things that are important to them gives them a sense of validation. It can be a tool to help them learn to reflect and count their blessings. And it makes pretty necklaces and bracelets that can be worn, strung around the room or kept in a special place to be cherished.

Teens often have difficulty expressing their feelings. A string of beads may help them communicate when they don't know what words to use or are embarrassed. Take a look at your teen's project now and then. If you see a trend of friend issues, depression or academic stress, you can use it to begin an important conversation. Teens are headstrong and may decide to stop beading. But you can never tell. In their hearts, kids do want to share their feelings and may find the process cathartic.

Get the whole family involved by making beads a part of dinnertime. Let everyone choose a bead. Pass the string and add them to the family strand. It could bring back the nearly-lost tradition of dinner conversation. Ask children who add negative beads what happened during their day. When someone adds a proud-of-me bead, share in her joy.

Family projects have one complication. How can you tell if a bead came from Mom or Junior? The solution is to choose a different kind of bead for each family member. Make sure that they are comparable in size and will fit on the same strand of cord without slipping over one another. Use a neutral bead - perhaps a wooden variety - between days.

Don't forget to assign each color a meaning! Post a chart so that everyone can refer to it when necessary. Make sure that everyone's bead supply has all of the colors and keep them well-stocked.

I never knew that a string and a bowl of beads could mean so much. Crafts are perfect vessels for nostalgia and love. But this simple project can hold a lifetime of memories and emotions. Don't take my word for it; try it yourself. And for heaven's sake, don't limit yourself. Crafting is about exploration and creativity. If you have an idea for "history beads," use it! Make it your own.

Sources: http://www.archildrens.org/press_room/beadsofcourage.asp, Personal experience.