Attaching a piece of wood to a necklace without drilling
You may have luck with hitches or whippings. The former tends to involve attaching a rope to something, such as a piece of wood. The latter finishes the end of a rope to keep it from fraying, or finishes a piece of wood...to keep it from splintering? Both tend to have styles that can be repeated down a bit of wood making them both more secure and more attractive.

You might have particular luck with a West Country Whipping or a French Whipping