Turning Porcupine Quills into Beads

Reader Contribution by Nicole Caldwell
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This week an old friend visited my farm in Northern New York from his home in Klamath, Calif. A pure-blooded Yurok Indian, Arnie is well-versed in the traditions of his ancestors and knows much about fishing, edible wild plants, and various Native American crafts  While here, he made use of a dead porcupine from the yard, teaching me how to turn the quills into beads that can be incorporated into homemade earrings, necklaces, bracelets, or other arts ‘n’ crafts projects.

While many of us living a rural lifestyle have horror stories of dogs being quilled by porcupines, these spiky protuberances can also be plucked from roadkill–or, if you’ve got a brave heart, you can throw a blanket or towel over a living porcupine. The quills will stick to the cloth. Always remove quills carefully! The backward-facing barbs will pierce your skin easily and stay there.

Once you have a collection of quills, turn them into beads by following these simple instructions.

Trim the Quills

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