How to Stitch Beads
Beads can be stitched together to make beautiful and intricate patterns, jewelry and decorations. If you are just starting out, there are a few basics to get down. With good technique and lots of practice, you can make all your own bead stitchings.
Things You'll Need
- Tube of seed beads
- Needle between sizes 10 and 15
- Scissors
- Nylon thread
Instructions
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1
Cut 1 to 2 yards of thread and thread your needle. (See Tips section for how to choose the correct needle size.)
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2
Tie a sloppy knot at the end of your thread. To do this, wrap the thread around your finger a few times, twist the loops between your finger and thumb so the threads tangle, and pull the tangle toward the end so it catches in a knot. This knot will keep your beads from sliding off the end.
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3
String your first layer of beads onto the thread. To make a basic square, string 8 beads. Leave a half-inch of space between the beads and the knot so you can tie the thread more securely later. The beads may shift along this space, but once you begin the second row, the first row will stay in place.
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4
String a bead for the next row. Thread the string through the last bead from the previous row in the same direction as you originally threaded it.
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5
Stitch through the next row bead as you did the first time you threaded it. The stitching between the two beads should make a circle. Pull the thread snug.
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6
Thread another bead. Stitch through the bead on the previous row directly below it---the second bead from the end. Thread back through the new bead.
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7
Repeat Step 6 until you reach the end of the row. You should have two parallel lines of 8 beads if you are doing a square, and they will be connected. Tie a square knot with the active thread and the thread just above the sloppy knot.
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8
Stitch beads in as you did before, working the opposite direction that you did in the second row.
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9
To make a brick stitch, do the circular stitching between every bead, rather than after the first row. This lines up the rows of beads between the beads of the previous row, rather than right over them.
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10
Follow a pattern to create specific items using these techniques. At the end, tie off the thread by knotting it to the thread of the last bead on the second to last row.
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1
Tips & Warnings
For beads size 10/o or 11/o, use a size 10 needle; for 11/o to 12/o beads, size 11 needle; for 12/o to 13/o beads, size 12 needle; for 13/o to 15/o beads, size 13 needle; and for 15 or smaller beads, use a size 15 needle.
If you make a mistake, do not "un-sew" a bead. Unthread the needle and pull the thread back through the bead so you don't create knots within a bead.
References
- Photo Credit beads image by Irish i from Fotolia.com
