How to Make Letters out of Pony Beads

Pony beads are a North American tradition.

Pony beads are plastic or glass beads. They are easy to work with and are available in a wide range of colors, shapes and sizes. Pony beads are ideal for use in accessories, home ornaments and various crafts. Pony beads originated when explorers brought European glass beads with them to America. These beads were named pony beads, as they were often delivered by the Pony Express. Native Americans used glass pony beads, along with other varieties, to decorate and intricately adorn leather clothing and footwear. They also used pony beads to make necklaces for their tribes and to decorate their horses.

Things You'll Need

• Pony beads in assorted colors, sizes and finishes
• Beading thread or a heavy embroidery thread
• Needle
• Tracing paper and soft lead pencil (optional)
• Fabric adhesive (optional)
• Letter templates (optional)
• Sewing pins (optional)

Instructions

1. Decide what you want to write using your pony beads, and create a template, ensuring all your letters are the same size. Copy your letters onto tracing paper using a soft lead pencil. Turn turn the paper over and retrace your letters on the reverse side. Pull your material tightly beneath the tracing paper and trace over your letters a third time, this time directly onto your material.

2. Cut a length of thread approximately 15 inches long and tie a knot into the end, ensuring the knot is larger than the bead holes. Thread your pony beads onto this thread and secure by tying another knot into the other end of the thread. Use sewing pins to attach the threaded beads to your material, following your traced letters.

3. Cut another piece of thread approximately 15 inches long, tie a knot into one end and thread your needle with the other. Make your first stitch at the start of the first letter, ensuring the knot is at the back of your material. Continue securing the remaining letters into place by alternating stitches from back to front, front to back at half-inch intervals. Your stitches can go through the beads themselves, or they can attach the string holding the beads to the fabric.

4. Tie a knot into the end of your thread once all letters are secured, ensuring the knot is at the back of your material. Alternatively, create three or four overlapping stitches to secure the end of your thread.

5. 

   You can apply beads to creative greetings cards, clothes and accessories.

   Avoid sewing, if you wish, by applying a small amount of fabric adhesive to each pony bead and gluing it onto your material, following the lines of your tracing.

Tips & Warnings

• Pull beads apart slightly for overlapping letter sections, so thread lies flat against thread, rather than bead against bead.

• Children under ten years old should be supervised while using small beads, adhesive and sharp objects.

• To children under five, beads may present a choking hazard.

References

• Beads Manufacturers; Pony Beads; 2010