How to Weave With Seed Pearls
Seed pearls are tiny oyster pearls, typically less than 5/64 inch in diameter. Seed pearls were very popular in Victorian times, and much of the most intricate and ornate jewelry work using seed pearls comes from this era. Because of their minuscule size, very fine thread -- usually silk fiber -- is needed to work with seed pearls. However, the basics of weaving with seed pearls is much like weaving with regular seed beads using a bead loom, needle and thread.
Things You'll Need
- Grid paper
- Bead loom
- Fine silk or cotton yarn
- Fine needle
- Seed pearls
- Sticky tape
- Scissors
Instructions
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Design your weaving on the grid paper. Each square represents one seed pearl. Typically this kind of weaving is suitable for creating bracelets, necklaces or decorative patches to be sewn on clothes or other items. The simplest design for learning to weave with seed pearls is a long strip of pearls that can be made into bracelets or necklaces.
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String the bead loom with the fine silk or cotton yarn. Typically bead looms have a hook on each end for attaching the yarn, and tiny calibrations on the top that guide the strung yarn, called the "warp," in a straight line. String on one more length of yarn than there are pearls in your design. For example, if there are seven pearls across in the design, then string on eight warp threads.
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Thread the needle with another length of yarn. Tie the end of the yarn to the warp thread closest to you, around 4 inches from one end of the loom. Thread the seed pearls onto the needle and thread, pushing them all the way down to the end of the yarn.
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Guide the yarn under all the warp threads. Push the seed pearls up through the warp threads with your finger so that there is a warp thread between each pearl. Pass the needle back through the pearls, this time ensuring the yarn is on top of the warp threads. Pull the needle through and tighten the yarn; the first row of seed pearls will now be suspended on the warp threads. Continue in this manner, threading on the pearls in your chosen design.
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Cut a length of sticky tape and place it over the warp threads on either end of the weaving once you have finished; this is to ensure the woven pearls stay in place while you take the warp threads off the loom.
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Cut the warp threads off each end of the loom. Place the weaving flat on the work surface and gently take off one side of the sticky tape. Knot the ends of the warp threads together. You can plait them to form a tie for a bracelet, or just tie a couple of knots, then trim the excess if you are planning to stitch the weaving to another medium. Repeat on the other end to finish the woven seed pearls.
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References
- Photo Credit Pearl Strands image by Rainstorm Designs from Fotolia.com
