- The one problem that occurs most often in any type of threaded beadwork is tension-related. As you work on your piece, it becomes either too tight or too loose, which can mean tearing it apart and beginning again. One easy tip for keeping your tension correct is to use the tail. When beginning a piece, cut your thread an additional 4 to 5 inches long. Begin your piece leaving that "tail" free from any beads. Wrap the tail around a finger, much like a person working on crochet would, and as you work the first part of your project, pull back on the tail slightly, making sure you are pulling straight back through the center of the hole in the bead. This will help keep the tension correct for the beginning of your project. As you progress, you can move your fingers to the beaded rows and maintain the tension that way.
-
It is possible, as you are stringing beads on thread or nylon, to see your thread begin to fray. While some of this can be corrected by properly waxing or treating your threads, the ends can fray as well. The first thing to look at when working on this problem is your beads themselves. The holes in the beads may be rough, and if so, can rub against the thread as you are working on your project. This would cause the thread to fray or even cut all the way through. You can solve this with the use of a little sandpaper, which you can rub your beads against and thus remove any sharp edges.
Keeping synthetic thread from fraying on the ends is simple. After knotting your threads together, trim the thread about 2 inches past the knot. Use a match and "melt" the threads together, being careful not to set the knot itself on fire. Cover the knot and end with a crimp cover or bead tip. -
Beading wire comes in different gauges and colors and can be used when stringing your seed beads for jewelry or special projects. When beginning your project, cut the wire several inches longer than you need. Place one half of the clasp on the wire and secure with crimp beads before beginning to string your beads. This keeps them from sliding off the end. Instead of trimming the tail end off, thread it back through the beads to add strength to the ends of your piece.
At times, using beading wire for necklaces will prevent the correct draping of your piece. In order to see if your piece will fall into place correctly, string your beads on fishing line before placing directly onto your wire.
