How To Make Beaded Jewelry, Beading, Bead Basics Instruction

How to bead: stringing, knotting, tools, attaching findings, materials explained, basic loom and off loom stitches, step by step instruction with repeatable practice sessions… 3 disc set, 2 hrs. …

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Beading For All

Working with beads is really a cool thing to do, no wonder! People of all ages are addicted with this craft, as young as three years old kid can even do beading. As a matter of fact, there are beading tools and materials available that are exclusively designed for them. They can learn simple things like how to make simple beaded anklet.

We all know that beading are mostly linked to woman’s hobby, but don’t forget that more gentlemen are now indulging with this activity. For adults that are fascinated with this craft, many decided to take another step forward of bringing their hobby into a source of extra income.

Beading is a perfect example of a fun and enjoyable career, two of the major interest of people who are finding what career they really want to start. With adequate materials that you will be need, you can now start with your own beading career. It is not too difficult to make a beautiful necklace with handmade glass beads.

Many are now linked with this craft, people of different sexes, culture and raises. As a matter fact there are different styles and techniques in different countries such as: Japanese beading style, French beading style, Greek beading, Indian beading style and etc. It is so cool knowing that the craft of our natives are still rising and shining all throughout the world.

There are people who are very talented in creating beads, even disabled people can be taught of this craft. Both government and non-government organization are supporting our brothers and sisters that are still capable of working with beads in spite of their incapability with some aspect. Their ideas and creativity are developed and discovered by their creation. The more you do the better you will become and it won’t take long to learn how to improve craftsmanship.

We usually see old folks doing beading. No wonder, they do it to serve as their hobby, talking with one another, having some jokes, and telling stories about their own respective lives while enjoying their beautiful creation. Beading is really a good activity for people like this that don’t have much thing to do.

Some people take beading as a therapy, people who feels that beading contributed large amount of reasons for their healing. After being hospitalized and being bed ridden for several months because of an accident, there are people spending their time with beading, never thought of how many months they are in bead doing their “new hobby”, sad to hear but on the other hand lots of them are enjoying even though they are in a serious condition. More and more people with the same stories like this are now enjoying their success with beading!

For people who are not yet linked with beading, it is not yet the end; try to explore the beauty and creativity of beading! You will never know your success is just in little cute sparkling beads!

If you would prefer you can watch this article in video format:

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Beading Instructions – An Important Tool For Beading

One of the most important tools before you start your beading is the Beading Instructions. Mostly, beading instructions can be found on beading kits available on your local craft stores. Beading instructions are very important because not all beading projects are easy to grasp. Most of the beautiful beading products are made from difficult patterns, and so instructions are should be followed. Even when learning how to make simple beaded anklet the instructions should be followed, not only to end up with the design that you want, but also to learn properly how to make jewelry.

You can find array of different booths selling all types of beading materials from Art and Craft stores. They usually sell beading materials like simple beading kits or individual handmade glass beads to help you make and enhance your jewelry. With this business, competition is very rampant so having the most simplistic set of beading instruction materials is necessary.

Without any instructions in all forms of art, especially the art of bead working may lead to disappointment, realizing that your finished product is different to what the pattern shows. You will finish your work quicker without having some mistakes if you’ll be able to follow the instructions.

Because beading continuously making its name globally, the rise of popular beading instruction materials are also available now via Internet. Savvy craft artist preferably purchase this material in an online bead stores. With your ability of choosing your beading materials over the net with just one click of a button, your beading craft has never been lot easier.

Beading instructions considered as an asset in bead work, not only because they serve as the pattern but also they can be a source of new design ideas. With deeper understanding at the instructions may add further knowledge on improving your beading designs. You don’t have to go and join a beading workshop, because with specialized instructions attached with most of your beading kits, bead working has never been more enjoyable.

The right beading instructions can create such beautiful items for gift giving. Making your own specialized beaded gift is a good option present for your family and friends.

Once you get to follow beading instructions and being able to figure out your desired beading product, your artistic skills are improving. Sharing your own ideas by writing your own beading instructions step you up in the field of this art.

The important thing is not to rush into making your jewelry. If you are new then it is best to take it slowly at first. The old saying, practice makes perfect, is especially true for crafts like beading. The more that you do and make, the better you will become over time. Planning and designing your own jewelry should be something that you enjoy and not something that you see as a chore, so just take it slowly and enjoy.

If you would prefer you can watch this article in video format:

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Bead Stores

Whether you already enjoy making jewelry, or just want to learn how to make a button bracelet, your first stop should be at a bead store. You can visit a local bead store or find one online. Just make sure you have plenty of time to browse.

Beads come in hundreds of shapes, sizes and colors. Beads can be handmade glass beads, metal, bone, plastic and even paper. Some beads are made from expensive gemstones, while others are common wood. Seeds, shells and found objects are also items that bead store might make into beads. Glass and acrylic beads mix with Swarovski crystal and Czech crystal.

Along with beads, one of these stores usually carries findings, clasps, watch faces and other components for creating beautiful jewelry. If you are lucky, your bead store will also offer classes in jewelry making, beading on a loom, and beading on cloth. You may learn to bead for fun or even profit.

You should look through your supplies and make a list of items that you need, or want before visiting a bead store. If you are looking for a particular bead, take a sample of it with you to the bead store. Think about what projects you have planned. Add any special beads or findings that you will need to your list. Carry a backpack purse so that both of your hands are free to look through beads.

Ask the sales clerk if there are any specials or sales going on. Also ask if they give discounts to members of bead societies. It may be worth joining if you enjoy beads. If you bead, or make jewelry for profit, and have a tax id number let the salesperson know before they ring up your sale. Remember to bring a copy of your tax certificate if you have one. This allows you to purchase beads and other supplies from a bead store at wholesale instead of retail cost.

After you get home sort your beads. A good desk lamp will help you identify patterns and colors more easily. Most people sort by color, shape and size. Uniformity may also be a factor to consider. Learning beading and how to organize your beading stuff will make your work go faster and you will be more productive as you will not be searching for items that should be at arms reach. If you are like most people that visit a bead store, you have more beads than you need, just because they caught your eye. Part of the fun is coming up with new projects to use up the beads that you find at the bead store.

Follow designs in books, online, or that you have previously made. Come up with new designs of your own. Use up the beads that you bought. Then it is time for another visit to the bead store.

Jennifer Thoden shares her love of beads and creativity with beginner beaders and jewelry designers. Her love of color and unique design shows in her bead patterns. Find her bead patterns and tutorials at http://www.beadpatternsonline.com

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The Pure Pleasure Of Beading

They glitter and gleam, sparkle and shine. Some are delicately hand-painted; some are created from nature’s palette, and some could have fallen out of a rainbow. Beads of all sizes, shapes and colors can be rendered into intricately crafted earrings and necklaces, fun stringed jewelry, or amazing pieces of home décor. What you can make with beads depends upon your budget, skills and imagination. Whether it’s learning how to make a button bracelet for children, or a complicated Native American Medicine Wheel, it’s a sure bet that you’re in for hours of pure pleasure!

Throughout history, beads have been an important part of almost every culture in the world. They have been used as trade goods and currency, household décor, and to adorn the most resplendent clothing, from the wedding dresses of Native American Princesses to Princess Diana’s wedding gown. Today, we use craft beads in similar ways. For instance, it’s almost impossible to not see teens sporting beaded jackets and jeans at malls. Delicately beaded trinket and music boxes make lovely birthday and wedding gifts. Beaded home décor items, such as macramé planters and wall hangings, Native American Dream Catchers, Medicine Wheels and pottery are perfect for Southwestern and other décor themes.

For working with craft beads, beginners need only a few simple tools. Your tool kit will need both round-nosed and flat-nosed pliers, wire cutters, several sizes of tweezers, and a pair of wire cutters. You can use various types of wire, such as jeweler’s wire, or nylon or synthetic threads, or the beautiful silk threads that come in a rainbow of colors. A crimping too will come in handy for attaching clasps and other fasteners to your beaded creations.

It’s best to buy all the beads, threads and other supplies you need for any given project at the same time. This ensures that you won’t have to set aside your project while you run out to buy more beads or required tools, or waiting for delivery from a beading supply warehouse. Buying ahead eliminates the chance that your store or supplier won’t have what you need in stock. Purchasing supplies from a wholesale crafts or beading warehouse, either online or by catalog, is both cost and time efficient. You can buy everything you need at one place, without leaving your home, and possibly get in on some great sale discounts!

When beading learn how to organize your beading stuff. For your workspace, you need a flat surface that is large enough to give you plenty of room to work and hold your supplies. Good lighting is especially important to ease eyestrain. Use seal able, labeled trays, containers or drawers for bead and supplies storage; this keeps them organized and within easy reach. Choose a chair that is comfortable, yet provides the support you need to avoid muscle strain. A beading board anchors your bead strands and has rulers for easy measuring. Some even have small trays in which to keep the beads you’re using right at your fingertips. Get to know your jewelry making tools, their proper usage and safe handling, this will make your work go much faster and you will create better designs.

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What Tools Do I Need To Bead Jewelry?

It’s a very common question for beginner beaders to want to know all the tools you will need to start beading. (and what they can live without)

To be successful with your beading projects, it’s a good idea to understand jewelry making tools and their proper usage. Plus, next to each “must have” tool is an **. The other tools you can pick up as you gain more experience. All tools can be dangerous when you don’t know how to use them so it is important to understand some safety tips in jewelry making before attempting to use these tools.

**Wire Cutters

Wire Cutters

Wire cutters are used to cut your wire. They have sharp edges that snap your wire clean. Be sure to get good quality cutters that cut close and clean.

**Crimping Pliers

Crimping Pliers

Crimping pliers are used to flatten crimp beads to then end of your stringing wire. Crimping pliers create neat, round crimps using a 2 step process. They are very easy to use! Use the standard crimping pliers for 2mm crimp tubes. Use the Micro Crimper for 1mm crimp tubes. And if you have a need for a 3mm crimp tube, try using the Mighty Crimper.

Round-Nose Pliers (needle nose pliers)

Round Nose Pliers

Round nose pliers have rounded ends designed to create smooth tight loops in your wire. Choose a good quality set that provides a tight grip, ergonomic handles and a wide range of width on the noses. When first starting out (and on a budget), you can skip this tool at first. But you’ll soon want to advance your skills into creating dangles and wire loops… and you will need these pliers to do that.

Chain Nose Pliers (flat-nose pliers)
These pliers have flat tapered noses that enable you to grip, bend and manipulate your wire. Choose a pair that offer small tips to reach tiny areas and that have comfortable ergonomic handles. If you’re on a budget, you don’t need these pliers right away. But as you work more with stringing beads, you will discover that you will need these pliers to help grip your beads and wire. Plus, when you begin working more with wire, these pliers will become essential.

Beading Needles
There are 2 main types of needles you can use. A beading needle and a Sharps needle. A beading needle is about 2? long, flexible and are designed for stringing multiple beads, off-loom and loom bead-weaving.

A Sharps needle is a shorter more rigid needle… designed for hand bead embroidery into fabric and for off-loom bead-weaving.

You typically don’t need a beading needle until you begin creating off-loom stitch designs. Until then, your stringing wire is stiff enough to string beads on.

Finding places to buy your tools can be time consuming and costly if you don’t know where to look. Trying to find out how to source the best wholesale jewelry and tools needs to be addressed if you intend to go into business. Most of your local shops will be retail and will have a mark up of their own. Take some time to research to find the best deals before you jump in and buy materials. It may take a day or two, but it will be well worth your while if you search online for jewelry wholesalers.

Happy Beading!

Jennifer Thoden shares her love of beads and creativity with beginner beaders and jewelry designers. Her love of color and unique design shows in her bead patterns. Find her bead patterns and tutorials at http://www.beadpatternsonline.com

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How To Choose The Right Wire Gauge For Your Beading Project

If you’re a beginner, it can be overwhelming with all the choices presented before you to make a piece of jewelry… or any handmade glass bead project! One of the things you need to know to have a successful project is the type of wire to use for your beading projects. Before buying your wire, if you intend to make a lot of jewelry, from local stores have a look on the internet for supplies. You can, use eBay to find cheap beads,wire, chains, just about anything you need.

Here are few tips to help you make the right decision:

Use 14 to 16 gauge wire (very thick and heavy) if you are going to make a bracelet, free-form shapes, neck-wires, lampshade forms, and napkin rings.

Use 18 gauge wire (thick) if you are going to make your own clasps, string ethnic glass beads and other large bone, wood, or ceramic beads with large holes or wire wrapping candlesticks and chain-making.

Use 20 gauge wire (Medium) if you are going to make ear-wires, headpins and small wire clasps and stringing glass beads. Most base metal headpins and ear-wires are made from 20 gauge wire.

Use 22 gauge wire (medium thin) when 20-gauge is too thick. It is good for stringing Crystals or transparent semi-precious beads including amethyst, quartz and fluorite.

Use a 24 gauge wire (thin) when you are wire wrapping smaller crystals, semi-precious beads and freshwater pearls to chain. You’re going to want to use a wire straightening pliers with this wire when it gets kinks, which it has a tendency to do.

Use a 26 gauge wire (very thin) when you are going to wire wrap beads to tiaras and in wire projects where 24 gauge wire is just too heavy for the beads. In order for this wire to maintain a loop, loops must be wire wrapped closed. Tools with very fine tips should be used with this wire.

Use 28, 30 gauge wire (very, very fine) when wire weaving, crocheting and free form wire wrapping using small beads You should use tools with very fine tips. Also, this wire kinks easily and a wire straightening pliers is required for use with this size wire.

And… to “”wire wrap”” this series up… remember that the higher the number the thinner the wire. So a 26 gauge wire is thinner than a 20 gauge wire. And if you have a spool of unlabeled wire, use a wire gauge to measure it. It may not seem like a dangerous item, but wire cause you some injury so best to get to know some safety tips in jewelry making when working with wire and other tools.

Happy Beading!

Jennifer Thoden shares her love of beads and creativity with beginner beaders and jewelry designers. Her love of color and unique design shows in her bead patterns. Find her bead patterns and tutorials at http://www.beadpatternsonline.com

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