| Summary: | Traditional beads are often used as fashion accessories, charms, amulets, talismans or body adornment for the Chiefs, Queen mothers, and for the consumption of the general public especially the indigenes of Ghana. Currently, glass bead patterns are applied to add value and enhanced the texture and aesthetic characters of various fashionable products made. Nevertheless, locally available plastic beads made out of plastic waste are often omitted in the creative equation of most artist. Exploring traditional plastic bead as a potential medium for mosaic art is a means of exposing its potential for contemporary artists, educators and other related discipline diversify and complement their art forms. This work, thus, seeks to demonstrate and expose the traditional techniques of plastic bead making and its alternate use for a metaphor in-door mosaic to artists in Ghana and other regions of the globe. Experiments and descriptive research methods were employed. Critical observation of the materials, tools, equipment and the technique were vital in this inquiry. Interviews were also conducted to authenticate the facts gathered. The results were that traditional plastic beads as an alternate material has the potential to inspire educators and contemporary artists in their use, to diversify, creative and metaphoric products for export. This could solve the problem of export diversification from traditional glass bead to non-traditional products to complement other kinds of traditional bead products on the world marketplace. Discussions were based on academic, cultural, philosophical and artistic contexts. It is advocated that artists, institutions and the small scale industries assign much importance to plastic beads towards improving its production techniques for living and for export.
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