How to Sew On Beads By Hand

Beaded Vest

Whether it’s a craft or something to wear, beads can add a beautiful finishing touch. Sewing the beads on, rather than gluing them, will prevent losing the beads through wearing, handling, or washing. Sewing beads on by hand does take time but, with a little patience and practice, it can be done.

Things You'll Need

• Beads
• Tissue paper
• Pencil
• Straight pins
• Embroidery hoop
• Beading thread or nylon thread in a color that matches the bead
• Needles thin enough to fit through the beads
• Scissors
• Tweezers

Instructions

How to Sew on Beads By Hand

1. Lay the beads out in the pattern you want, so you can see how it will look and to make sure you have enough beads. Nothing is more frustrating than being nearly finished with a beading project only to find that you don’t have enough beads. It would be a good idea to buy more beads than you need in case you have to replace a lost bead later.

2. Draw the design for the beads onto the tissue paper according to the pattern you want. Use a pencil to draw, but never use a marker, as it could bleed through the thin tissue paper and onto the material. Trim the tissue paper into sizes that fit inside the circle of the embroidery hoop. Lay a section of tissue paper on top of the material, making sure you have placed the pattern exactly where you want it. Pin the tissue paper to the material, being careful not to bunch the material. Thread a needle and sew the tissue paper to the material, using running stitches. Remove the straight pins.

3. Place the bottom of the embroidery hoop under the material. Fit the top of the embroidery hoop over the material, being careful not to catch the tissue paper in the hoop. Tighten the embroidery hoop and slowly pull the material from the bottom edges to smooth it and make the material inside the hoop taut.

4. Thread the needle with beading thread or nylon thread and tie a knot at one end. Pass the needle through the bottom side of the material and through the tissue paper. Slip a bead on the needle and down the thread to the material. Position the bead over the pattern and pass the thread down through the tissue and material. Pull the thread tight enough to hold the bead in place, but not so tight that you scrunch the material.

5. Turn the hoop over and pass the needle through a tiny section of material directly under the bead, being careful not to go up through the tissue paper, and pull the thread taut. This will help anchor the bead in place. Although it takes a little longer to secure each bead this way, in the long run it is a good thing to do. That way, if the thread comes undone, you won’t lose a lot of beads. Continue sewing all the beads in that section. Remove the embroidery hoop.

6. Pin and sew the tissue paper to the next section of material. Place the embroidery hoop on the material and sew the beads. Depending upon your pattern, you might come to a point where you cannot use the embroidery hoop because it would crush beads already sewn on the material. Spread the material with your fingers to help keep the material taut while sewing on those last beads.

7. Remove all the tissue paper. You might need to use tweezers to get all of it. Be careful that you do not catch the thread or pull the material.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have trouble with the beads moving while you are arranging the pattern, try spreading a length of clear tape-sticky side up-on a flat surface. Arrange the beads on that. Once you have your pattern, then proceed to count them.

• You can also use a double strand of lighter thread and rub it across a candle to give the thread more strength for beading.

• If you have heavy beads or a lot of beads in the pattern, you might want to use iron-on fusible webbing on the back of the material to reinforce the material.

• If you are adding the beads to a garment that is lined, such as a vest, leave the final seam undone until you have sewn on the beads. Add the beads and then finish sewing the last seam. It will take a little more effort to sew the beads, but the stitching for the bead work will be hidden by the lining.

• It's a good idea to start beading at the top of the side opposite your handedness. For instance, if you are right handed, then start on the extreme top left of the project and work across. This will keep your hand from resting on the row of beads, which can become uncomfortable.

• Doing close needlework for a long time can cause eye strain. Take frequent breaks to rest your eyes. Give yourself enough time to finish a large project instead of trying to do it all in one evening.