How to Do Native American Beaded Fringe

Beaded fringe on regalia.

Native American beaded fringe typically refers to the style of beadwork traditionally done by Native American artists using patterns, designs and ideas from within the Indian cultures. These styles vary from one tribal area to another and from one artist to another even within the same tribe. As a style, beading and fringe usually are designed to work in an integrated relationship with the overall design of the object to which the fringe is being added.

Things You'll Need

• Small firm pillow
• Leather cording
• Safety pin
• Ice cube tray
• Beads
• Beading thread and needle
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Select a small, firm pillow that you can use as a work base. Pillows provide comfort for your wrists and your project can easily be tied around the pillow with minimal effort.

2. Cut leather cording at least 3 feet long or the length of the fringe you wish to create. If you are trimming the bottom of a coat this may be 2 to 3 yards or more. Wrap the cord around the pillow once and knot the cord securely. Move your knot to the edge of the pillow and secure any excess cord to the back of the pillow with a safety pin.

3. Sort your beads into an ice cube tray by size, color, shape or other features.

4. Thread a beading needle with beading thread. Beading thread is much stronger than regular sewing thread and should be used to keep beaded fringe secure and strong. Knot the end of your thread near the knot on the leather cord.

5. Pick up your fringe beads in the order you wish, using your needle. Push the beads all the way onto the thread until they touch the leather cord. The last bead on the thread is your turning bead. Hold the last bead in one hand and slip your needle back through your beads in reverse order so that the needle emerges from the bead closest to the leather cord. Pull your thread through until your fringe is snug.

6. Wrap your needle and thread around the leather cord two or three times (moving away from the fringe and leather knot). This wrapping is how you control spacing between your beaded fringe. Pick up your next group of beads. Note that often Native American style fringe will rise and fall along the bottom fringe edge and use more than one size of bead. Often the arrangement of beads will emulate feathers with a larger bead near the end of the fringe. The spacing (number of wraps around the cord) you use between each fringe is based on giving your largest width bead adequate space to hang without bunching up.

7. Add beads to your fringe string to make the fringe longer and reduce beads to make the fringe shorter. Many Native American beading patterns will form arrow points in a regular order using this process.

8. Attach beading fringe by sewing the leather cord directly to the garment. When possible, sew your fringe directly onto the object being decorated. If you have to cut your fringe, go beyond your cut by two fringe sections. Cut the leather cord and unstring the beads on the last two fringe sections so that you can securely tie off your beading thread. Tie off your beading thread. Cut your cord to the exact length without cutting any additional beading thread.

Tips & Warnings

• Examine photographs of Native American beadwork for detailed images of the type of fringe styles that are popularly used with different projects.

References

• Native Tech: Bandolier
• iShimmy: Basic Beaded Fringe
• Miss Chic Boutique: Wolf Earrings with Fringe