Hello, I am a passionate Spelman College creator invested in the confidence and beauty waistbeads can bring to one's life.

I was around 10 or 12 when I first wore waist beads, which makes sense as waist beads are rooted in expressing one's transition into womanhood. My mother gave them to me after having the beads blessed by an African priestess. They were thick red beads with swipes of black, strung on a simple fabric thread. I tied them around my waist, and they only came off when the string became old and worn, signaling it was time to let them go. 

This got me thinking: I wished I could’ve taken them off occasionally and have it go along with my outfits.

A few months later, missing the beads that once hugged my waist, a friend made me a new pair—this time with a clasp. Once I received them, I started making my own waist beads, one after another, all with clasps. No longer did I have to tie them permanently, but instead, I could take them off at the end of the day.

Not only do the beads still represent a deep cultural connection, but the process of making them also calmed an anxiety I had dealt with for much of my youth. The stress slipped away as I slid each bead onto the string. I based the designs on my moods, infused them with positive intentions, and matched them to my outfits, which gave me a sense of confidence. When I started making beads for friends, the joy and confidence they radiated filled me with a sense of fulfillment, knowing something I created brought them so much happiness.

I haven’t stopped making them since, and you couldn’t pay me to stop (though you can pay me to keep going, lol). I believe it’s important for everyone to feel confident and joyful, to appreciate a rich culture, and to look stylish while doing so. I hope each and every one of you enjoys the beads as much as I enjoy making them.