Things You'll Need:
- Scissors
- Beading needles (size 10 and 13)
- Beading threads (Nymo thread is a strong beading thread) different colors, sizes B and D
- Thread conditioners (To strengthen and protect threads, less tangling)
- Bead mats
- Jewelry clasps
- Jewelry wire (different colors and thickness – depending on project.
- Pliers and wire cutters
- Embroidery hoop
- Bead loom – a basic loom is suitable for bead bands up to 6cm or 2 ½ inches wide.
- Fabric markers
- Fixatives such as fray clear liquid or clear nail varnish
- Various beads of different sizes and shapes
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Step 1
Purchase all your materials at a local craft store or online with bead suppliers and buy a bead-making instruction book to find multiple bead projects. Familiarize yourself with the different kinds of beads such as: Seed beads, which are round, donut shaped beads, cylinder beads, which are tubular, bugle beads, which are glass canes cut to various length, and hex beads, which are cylinder beads with bugle heads.
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Step 2
Pick which bead project you would like to work with between the needle weaving, embroidery, wire work, fringes and tassels, or bead loam work. Choose what project is easier for you to learn first, although most projects will be systematic in the instruction books. You can start with needle weaving, which is easier to most people.
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Step 3
Before you begin, study the knots used in beading. A reef knot is used for joining two threads and a double half hitch is maneuvered to secure a thread when netting or to make fringes. You make an overhand knot when you want to tie threads together before joining them and a surgeon’s knot is when each thread is taken over and under twice.
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Step 4
Practice these simple knots without the beading first, so that you can get a good grasp of how to knot every bead. To needle weave, you must pick up a bead and pass the needle back through it once or twice to anchor it. Leave a tail of 6 inches to attach a new thread to weave the ends back into the work.
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Step 5
As you are needle weaving, a stop bead helps to stabilize the first row and prevent the other beads from falling off the needle. To pack the bead work, weave the thread back and forth across the first few lines, several times, then bring the thread out through the same bead with the first thread you put in. If you want to weave a net or fringe, knot the two threads together using a reef knot.
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Step 6
Weave the ends of the thread into the work and trim the beading close to the edge of the beadwork before you tighten the beads. When you are at the end of the beadwork, secure the ends with a drop of fray clear liquid or a clear nail polish to fasten the knot permanently. To finish the beadwork, you must learn the many methods of stitching the bead sections together or if you would like to weave your beads quicker, use the bead loom method.
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Step 7
You can decorate your home with all the different bead projects like bead picture frames, trinket boxes, bead tassel or fringe lampshades, bead jewelry boxes, bead Christmas ornaments, beaded candlesticks, coasters and much more. On the other hand, you can make personal items like beaded bracelets, beaded purses, beaded shoes, beaded clothing, the list goes on. Gather as many instruction books on beading as you can to make up your own decorated projects.
