How It's Made

These Kantha Beaded Necklaces are lightweight and can be worn in many ways.  They are made of soft cotton beads that are each individually, hand wrapped with Kantha cloth.

So what is Kantha cloth anyway?

Kantha cloth originated in Bangladesh and in villages along the Bengal Bay.  Poor women would take fabric scraps and sew them together using the same stitch, still recognizable to us today, to create blankets to keep themselves warm. 

It is a craft that has been passed down for over 500 centuries according to the website dignify.com.

"As we culturally trend away from disposable consumer goods, and towards meaningful, well-crafted goods with a low environmental impact, Kantha blankets happily fit the bill."
a quote from Dignify.com

There are still old Kantha blankets out there if you are lucky enough to find them but they require special care as they are old and brittle. 

Today the blankets are still made from discarded, brightly colored, patterned, fabric scraps. One Kantha blanket can take up to 23 hours to produce which justifies the cost.  So be aware of inexpensive versions and be sure to ask yourself, "How was this blanket made so inexpensively?"  Then consider the materials and the working conditions of the artisan.  The newer high-quality blankets should have a straight edge, with a Kantha stitch right up to the edge, preventing any fraying or interior cloth coming out. 

Be sure to check out this video of the women making the Kantha blankets for Dignify, it is fascinating!