How to Stitch Beads to Fabric
Whether you are embellishing a tote bag or a formal gown, stitching beads to fabric is an effective way to add dimension and design to clothing and accessories. Although the work can be painstaking, the result is stunning. Start with a small project to learn the process and before long you will be ready to tackle an intricate beading project.
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Things You'll Need
- Small seed beads (size 4 to 6)
- Bugle beads (size 3 to 5)
- Bead board
- Fabric
- Beading needle (size 10)
- Thread (matching fabric)
- Hoop
- Bright, direct light
Instructions
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1
Position your fabric in the hoop so the area in which you want to sew beads is in the center. Stretch the hoop over the fabric to make the fabric taut.
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2
Thread a 12-inch single strand of thread through the needle and tie a knot in the end of the thread.
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3
Insert the thread into the fabric up from the underside at the point you wish to begin.
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4
Stitch a very small stitch (1/16-inch) through the fabric at almost the exact point where the thread comes up from the bottom of the fabric. This is an anchoring stitch. Make a habit of placing anchoring stitches throughout your beading to keep the beads from all falling from the fabric if your threads ever break.
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5
Slide five beads onto your needle and push them down so they rest in a tight row on the fabric. Insert the needle straight down into the fabric immediately beside the last bead. Insert the needle back up to the top of the fabric approximately two beads away from the point the needle went down. Insert the needle through these two beads a second time.
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6
Insert five more beads onto your needle, repeating Step 5 to stitch a row of beads onto your fabric. If you want to sew the beads onto the fabric in a curved line, place only two or three beads onto your needle at a time instead of five.
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7
Sew single beads onto your fabric by inserting the needle into the fabric from the underside (leaving a knot on the underside). Place one bead onto the needle and insert the needle back down into the fabric immediately beside the bead. Insert the needle back up from the underside of the fabric up to 1 inch away and pull the thread all the way through. Insert another bead onto the needle and push the needle back down to the underside of the fabric immediately beside this bead. Continue in this fashion.
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8
End your stitching by making another anchoring stitch at the end of your work. Tie a small knot 1/8-inch away from the surface of the fabric and insert the needle back down through the fabric to the underside. Pull the thread until the knot you made pulls through the fabric to the underside of the fabric. Clip the excess thread to finish.
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