Cyclodextrin‐grafted cellulosic hydrogel beads (CD+@HEC‐CMC‐gel) were prepared through electrostatic and host–guest interactions. β‐Cyclodextrin (CD+) modified with quaternary ammonium groups was used as the electropositive binding site, and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) in a double‐network hydrogel structure was used as the electronegative binding site. The double‐network structure was obtained by controlling the crosslinking of CMC and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) in the presence of epichlorohydrin. The electrostatic interaction was used to graft CD+ onto the electronegative double‐network structure. Scanning electron microscopy indicated an obvious change in the cellulosic double network after grafting of CD+. The grafting content of CD+ in CD@HEC‐CMC‐gel is determined as 93.10 ± 0.74% by the photometric titration method. In order to evaluate the assembling and releasing ability, ibuprofen (IBU) was selected to be encapsulated in CD+@HEC‐CMC‐gel by host–guest interaction. In addition, the release of IBU by the hydrogel beads was explained by several kinetic models. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46593.