Beading for Beginners: What Tools Do I Need?

I think that beading is a great hobby because it is very scalable. What I mean is, that you can start very simple, with no tools at all, except a pair of scissors. Then as you get more involved, you can add more tools and supplies as needed. It is not necessary to go out and buy a whole bunch of tools and things that you don't need or don't know how to use.

I have defined different levels of beading, the tools and supplies that you need, and what you can make with the tools

Simple is a great way to start dabbling with beading. All you need are beads in your favorite colors and stretch cord. A ruler is helpful so that you know how many beads to string on and you will need scissors to trim the stretch cord after you tie a knot. Then you will be able to string a fun bunch of stretch bracelets. It's a great way to spend a few hours with girlfriends, daughters, and sisters.

Beginners - there is no need to be intimidated, beading is fun, so please enjoy it!

There is a lot you can do with beads but take it slow and learn a little bit at a time. To start, I would recommend just a few basic things. It seems like a long list, but most of these items are relatively inexpensive and will make your beading experience easier and more enjoyable.

Bead stoppers - these are are springy clamps that you attach to one end of your string so that beads don't fall off the back end while you are stringing on the beads

Crimp Beads - these are little tubular beads. When compressed with a crimp tool, they will secure the clasp on your bracelet or necklace

Crimp Tool  - compresses crimp beads, we have illustrated crimping instructions on our website, but most of the time there are instructions on the packaging.

Bead Mat - this will pad your work space and keep beads from rolling off onto the floor.

Bead Board - this is a board with a U-shaped groove. Lay your beads in the groove to design your piece before stringing. This allows you to arrange and rearrange the beads until you are happy with the design.

Flexible Beading Wire - this is a quality, multi-purpose stringing materials that is great for stringing bracelets, necklaces, anklets and even making earrings. When using flexible beading wire, you will need crimps and a crimp to attach clasps and findings.

Findings (clasps, jump rings, crimps, etc.) - this term refers to clasps jump rings, ear wires and mainly metal components

Flush Cutter - needed for trimming excess stringing material

Chain Nose Pliers - just a handy tool to have to give you an extra pair of hands or help with picking up items.

Last, but not least - you will need BEADS!!! There are so many to choose from, half the fun is hunting for beads in uniques shapes and colors.

Beading blogs, books and magazines are a great way to get ideas and teach you to visualize how beads will look together as you are designing.

In a future blog post, I will talk about more advanced skill levels - Intermediate, Advanced & Obsessed!

8th Anniversary Celebration at Bead Bee - 20% off and Cake Decorating Contest

Thank you for many years of loyalty to Bead Bee. We have had so much fun learning and sharing with you! This year, we are celebrating with a CAKE DECORATING CONTEST and offering giving 20% OFF during our week long 8th Anniversary celebration! More details below!

We kicked off our celebration with an adorable flower cake decorated with bees! But we would love to see your delicious creations! During the month of October, we are accepting entries for our CAKE DECORATING CONTEST on Facebook. To enter, please be our fan on Facebook and post one (1) photo of your decorated dessert. Please upload only one photo per fan. At the end of the month, one dessert (and fan) will be randomly chosen to receive a $25 Bead Bee Gift Certificate. (If you don't have a Facebook account, you can email us your photograph to enter).

We have also posted a 20% off coupon below. Have fun shopping from all of our great beads, findings & supplies including Czech glass beads, alphabet beads, number beads, acrylic beads, charm, a variety of stringing materials and more!

Visit our online bead store to start shopping!

Breast Cancer Awareness Book Mark

Beaded bookmarks are completely customized by the beads and the charms that you choose, so you can make each one truly unique.

This design features beaded dangles at the end of satin ribbon. The satin ribbon is flat so it fits perfectly between the pages of a book. The book mark is decorated with beaded dangles that are attached to a large ring that connects the beaded dangles to the ribbon. You can have fun combining different types of ribbon with different combinations of beads and charms.

We have created this design for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but you can adapt this beaded book mark design for any occasion. They are great stocking stuffers and wonderful gifts for teachers & book worms.

Simple instructions to create this beaded book mark are available on our website with detailed photographs. All you need to know is how to use crimp beads and a crimp tool.

To purchase products featured in this blog post, use the following links:

FlexRite Beading Wire
Sterling Silver Crimp Beads
Czech Glass Beads
Pink Designer Bead Mix
Silver Pewter Hammered Ring
Vertical Hole Alphabet Beads
Pewter Charms

Click here for more ideas for Bead projects for Breast Cancer Awareness

Look for our beads on TV... Extreme Makeover Home Edition

We have been anxiously waiting for this episode to air so we can see how the EMHE designers have incorporated our beads into the Lutz Family's new home. We sent them all types of beads and we can't wait to see what they have done!

After the show airs, we will post photographs, so stay tuned!

Watch on ABC, Sunday, October 3, 2010, 8/7 central.

After you see this episode, let us know what you think (post your comments)! Thanks!!!

Bead Bee in Real Simple Magazine

Pick up the Fall 2010 of Real Simple Family Magazine for great party favor ideas for all of your fall and holiday festivities! Bead Bee's bead kits, featured in this issue (p.24), are perfect for creating personalized gifts and party favors such as bracelets, necklaces, book marks or key chains.

To shop for the bead kits seen in Real Simple Magazine enter keyword Real Simple Bead Kits into the BeadBee.com search bar, or click here



Blog readers get an extra 10% off our Real Simple Bead Kits! Use coupon code: realsimple (Offer expires on December 31, 2010)

A Simple Beaded Keychain for Every Skill Level

Hand made beaded keychains are simple to make and are a great activity for both kids and adults. Many people have created them as fundraisers or as gifts. All you need are large hole beads and alphabet bead beads to spell out a special message. No tools are necessary except for a pair of scissors.

Click here for detailed illustrated directions on How to Make a Beaded Key Chain

A Heritage of Inspiration: Creating Jewelry with Czech Glass Beads

Hello Everyone!

For this blog, I wanted to focus on the beautiful Czech Glass Beads that you can find at Bead Bee. The reason I'm so interested in these beads is because they're linked with my heritage, and I wanted to find out a little bit of history on them.

In essence, Czech Glass Beads were made from the ideas and demands of people all over the world. In the mid 1800s, Czech "sample men", as they called them, would travel the world trying to figure out what kinds of beads people wanted. They took back their notes and sketches to their home factories where the beads were produced. After a while, technological advances made it possible for Bohemia to mass produce pressed-glass beads. As a result, by the 1920s Czechs became the main bead exporters of the world.

I created a memory wire bracelet using turquoise Czech flower glass beads, jet Czech petal beads and tortoise Czech fire polished glass beads. For added detail, I added antique copper spacers. I picked these colors because I haven't seen these colors used together on jewelry. This bracelet can be worn dressed down with a white t-shirt, jeans, and flip flops, or dressed up with that "little black dress" you save for special occasions. Please leave questions and comments to let me know what you think!

Brianna

Brianna is our guest blogger for this Spring/ Summer season - welcome Brianna! Click here to send Brianna message or leave a comment.

Girlfriends & Beads

Beading is such a nice hobby to share with your friends and family. Last Saturday, my beautiful and awesome friends Brianna (our guest blogger), Bethany and I spent the afternoon beading and then went out for a delicious dinner. We talked, laughed and shared ideas.

Bethany made a precious pink lanyard to wear at her new job.

Brianna created a gorgeous Turquoise Flower Cuff Bracelet, see her blog post for details on making this bracelet for yourself (coming soon).

I created a gorgeous pendant necklace featuring a Thai silver rose pendant surrounded by gemstones, you can see it in this blog post: Rose Bouquet Necklace

Tell us how you have fun beading with your friends and loved ones, please leave a comment!

Rose Bouquet Necklace

This Thai silver rose pendant is absolutely exquisite. I wanted to create a sophisticated, garden inspired necklace featuring this rose in a cluster, surrounded by gorgeous gemstone beads that include blue topaz, pink topaz, chrysophrase and rhodonite.

To create this necklace, attach beads and charms to a piece of chains. The rose pendant is attached to the chain with a jump ring and all of the gemstone beads are wire wrapped and attached to the chain as well. I chose beads that were no larger than 6mm so that the rose pendant would remain the focal point of the piece.

When beads are wire wrapped and attached to chain, they dangle elegantly. Using this technique to attach beads to chain can also be used to create earrings.

If you are new to wire wrapping and want to learn how to wire wrap top drilled gemstone beads (mostly tear drop shaped briolettes with the holes drilled horizontally across the top), click here to see illustrated wire wrapping instructions on our Bead Bee website.

My First Bead Box

A few days ago, I discovered a dusty old tackle box while cleaning out a closet in my house - it was my first bead box.

When I first started beading, I was instantly addicted and this little plastic box filled up quickly and overflowed into a large basket, which then grew into a spare room in my house.

Here are some forgotten treasures that I found in my first bead box:

• Gray pearl daisy chain necklace
• Antiqued copper filligree components
• hanks of gorgeous Czech 15/0 seed beads
  

This little old box brought back all the memories of why I started beading, the eagerness to learn all about making jewelry, coming up with new jewelry designs and having fun discovering new beads and the ideas that they inspired. As I look back, I think of how lucky I am to still have the same passion about beading and jewelry design today.  What memories do you have about when you first started beading?

Large Link Chain Gemstone Briolette Necklace

This is a simply elegant necklace that will showcase gorgeous gemstone briolettes on sophisticated sterling silver links.

Create this necklace at loose choker length. This will allow the necklace to drape around the neck in a circular shape. Choose a larger link chain for added drama. The chain featured in this example has 12mm links. When cutting the chain, don't forget that the clasp that you choose will add about 1" to the total length of the necklace.

Next, select one briolette per chain link. You may choose to arrange the briolettes according to color and size before wire wrapping them onto the chain.

I have been saving these exquisite tourmaline briolettes and this project is perfect for them. The size of the large chain link is well proportioned to the 10mm briolettes and the rich color of the stones makes them the perfect beads to show off in this design.

If you want to use smaller briolettes or other shapes, you may choose to attach more than one bead to each chain link. The result will be just as stunning.

Here are several way to attach a clasp to the chain to complete the necklace:
1) Use open jump rings to attach your choice of a clasp
2) Use matching beads to wire wrap the clasp to the chain
3) Use a matching satin ribbon to tie the chain around your neck
4) Use a simple "S" hook - see photo below 

To purchase products featured in this blog post, please use these links:
Sterling Silver Chain
Gemstone Beads
S Clasp
Sterling Silver Wire

Gemstone Lariat Necklace

Here is a version of a lariat necklace that features gorgeous freshwater pearl bead strands sprinkled with multi-colored gemstone beads. An ornate sterling silver toggle serves as the focal point.

I really love the poetic combination of the rich gemstones in this necklace design. The pearls add to the classic style that can be dressed up or down. The gemstone beads used include: amethyst, pink chalcedony, green chalcedony, apatite, pink topaz, prehnite, london blue topaz and lemon quartz.

Lariat necklaces are typically designed to be long and graceful. Since I used small rice pearls, I chose to make this necklace two strands so that it would a little more dramatic.

Materials
Ornate Sterling Silver Toggle
Freshwater Rice Pearls
FlexRite Beading Wire
Sterling Silver Crimps
26 gauge Sterling Silver Wire
3 Sterling Silver ball pins
Gemstone Beads include Amethyst Tear Drop Beads, Pink Chalcedony Briolette Beads, Green Chalcedony Briolette Beads, Blue Apatite Rondelle Beads, Pink Topaz Rondelle Beads, London Blue Topaz Briolette Beads, Lemon Quartz Twist Briolette Beads

Instructions
You will need one 36" strand and one 38" strand of Flex-Rite beading wire (I used medium weight, however, a few of the pearls and gemstones didn't fit. I prefer to use medium weight for the strength and am willing to sacrifice a few beads in the process. However, light weight beading wire will work fine.

String beads in the desired pattern onto the flexible beading wire. One end of each strand should be attached and crimped to the toggle ring. The other ends should be thread through the toggle ring. (See Photo A, below)

Next, wire wrap your choice of larger size gemstones (8mm or larger) onto ball pins to create dangling beads. The wire wrapping will create loops above the beads so that they can be attached to the ends of each strand. (See Photo B, below)

Start with the unfinished end of one strand, string on a crimp bead, thread the beading wire through beaded dangles and crimp. Repeat with the second strand.

Related Posts:
How to Wear a Lariat Necklace
Simple Lariat Necklace (design idea)

To purchase products featured in this blog post, use the following links:
Ornate Sterling Silver Toggle
Freshwater Rice Pearls
FlexRite Beading Wire
Sterling Silver Crimps
26 gauge Sterling Silver Wire
Sterling Silver ball pins
Gemstone Beads