- Beads come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and types. Choosing the beads for your project can include just one shape, type, or a mixture of all. Common beads used in jewelry making are glass, gemstone, wood, plastic, shell, pearls, and metal. Stringing material used will depend on your design. Flexible beading wire, commonly used in jewelry making, is several strands of stainless steel wire and comes in a variety of colors. Suede and leather are also commonly used when you want the stringing material exposed. Stretchy thread and cord is used for making jewelry that does not need a clasp. Silk cord is used with a needle and traditionally used for stringing pearls and small gemstones.
- Nose pliers are used to make loops on your wire or head pins. Wire cutters are used for cutting the wire. Chain nose pliers are needed to grip wire and make angles, and to open and close jump rings. Needle nose pliers, same as chain nose pliers, are a longer version. A crimping tool is used for crimping and securing crimp beads. A bead reamer, which is used to enlarge the inside of a bead hole, is also a good tool to have on hand.
- There are several ways to layout your design. Alternating large and small beads is the simplest choice. Adding a larger focal bead for the center and matching each side is a common pattern. You can also establish a pattern with color by clustering colors together or alternating one or more colors. A bead board allows you to arrange a design and see what the piece will actually look like before putting the design together. The bead board also provides a good work surface and keeps the beads from rolling away.
