The Basics - Needles

Needles

The main difference between beading needles and sewing needles is that beading needles are much finer so they can pass through the holes of tiny beads. Beading needles can be used for stringing, loom work and off-loom weaving. Two beading needles that are easiest to work with are twisted needles and wide eye needles.

Twisted needles – A twisted needle is basically a twisted wire, with a loop at one end for the thread. The loop collapses as it passes through a bead. The twisted needle is used mainly for stringing beads because it does not have a sharp point.


Wide eye needle –The whole length of the wide eye needle is an eye. You can use both ends of the bi-directional needle. To thread it, open the eye with your fingernail and insert the thread. This needle is available in the following lengths: ¼ inch, ½ inch, 3 inch, 4 inch and 5 inch.

The Basics - Beads

There are just simply amazing beads available for jewelry and the selections are endless. Sometimes, I get design ideas by just looking through my bead selection or a catalog. Lets talk about the major categories.

Crystal Beads

Swarovski is the authority on crystal beads and components, and the company is constantly creating new styles. There are endless design possibilities with Swarovski crystals. Celestial crystal beads may not have as wide a variety of beads but they do offer a nice selection and are more affordable.

Gemstone Beads

Make elegant jewelry with gemstones like amethyst, carnelian, garnet and so many more.

Glass Beads

Glass beads always amaze me, and I must confess that, so far, I actually prefer these to gemstone beads. I guess I just love colorful glass. There are so many different kinds, including lampwork beads. Lampwork beads are painstakingly made by hand with colored glass and a torch. No two are exactly alike.

Metal Beads

Precious metal – Gold and silver, of course, fall into this category. Gold beads are available in 14K and 18K. By law, the amount of gold present cannot be less than 14K. Vermeil items have a silver center that has been heavily electroplated with gold. Vermeil beads are slightly less expensive than gold beads.

Plated beads – Plated beads usually have a brass center that has been lightly electroplated with gold or silver.

Cloisonné – The colorful patterns on cloisonné beads are made with enamel and separated with thin strips of metal.

Pewter – Pewter is an alloy of tin and other metals. It was originally an alloy of tin and lead. If you are purchasing pewter items, be sure that they are lead-free.

Other metal beads include brass, copper, and zinc alloy.

Natural Beads

Natural beads are beads made of natural components like bone, wood, nuts, seeds and shells.

Pearls

Natural pearls are those that are naturally produced in an oyster or mussel without any kind of human intervention. They are usually not evenly shaped.

Cultured pearls – These have been produced in freshwater oyster farms. A tiny grain of sand, glass or mother-of-pearl is injected into the oyster, which immediately begins to surround it with nacre. It will continue to do this while it lives, creating an increasingly bigger pearl.

Imitation pearls include glass-based pearls and crystal pearls by Swarovski. There are some truly beautiful ones and they are available in different colors.

Plastic Beads

Plastic beads are not just for kids these days! Acrylic bead designers are creating very sophisticated-looking beads now. You can even take the regular beads uptown with elaborate clasps. These beads are courtesy of Firemountaingems.com.




Seed beads

Sizes range from 6 to 22. The higher the number, the smaller the bead and size 22 seed beads are the smallest at 0.9mm. However, these are no longer in production. The seed beads most commonly found are the size 6, 8, 11 and 15. The following chart is courtesy of Firemountaingems.com.

The Basics - Stringing Materials

I used to get really confused when it came to choosing the right stringing material for my necklaces and bracelets. There are quite a few options out there and several things to consider when making your choice. Are you working with seed beads or does your design call for big beads? Are you using glass beads, crystals or other components with sharp edges? Are the beads heavy? And it goes on. So, here are the types of threads and available and the recommended uses. Happy beading!

Threads
When doing beadwork, it’s best to use thread that has been specially created for the purpose. Regular sewing thread is not durable enough for jewelry pieces and is not thin enough to go through tiny beads. Beading thread is very thin yet very strong. Some are even thin enough to pass through a tiny seed bead several times. You can use beading thread for stringing, loom work, and off-loom weaving. You’ll find that there are several brands to choose from. Regardless of the brand you prefer, choose your thread based on the type of work you will be doing and the size of beads you will be working with.

Kevlar – This is the strongest thread available.

Nymo – The most popular brand of nylon thread. The four available sizes range from the incredibly fine OO to D, which is still fine but thicker.

Silk – This thread is used more often for pearls but you can also use it for other types of beads. It frays easily so you will need to coat it in beeswax before you begin your work.

Silkon – This synthetic nylon thread is very strong. The sizes are light, medium and heavy.

Wire

Beading wire is tough but flexible enough for stringing beads. Use it when you want your jewelry pieces to be stiffer, less fluid. Also use beading wire instead of thread if your beads have sharp or rough edges. Such beads will cut through thread over time.

Beading wire consists of several strands twisted together. The more strands used, the less the wire will kink. Use crimp beads to tightly secure the wire ends when you finish a jewelry piece.

The most popular beading wires are tigertail and beadalon. They come in varying widths but the most popular size appears to be 0.46mm. Use thicker wire for heavy beads.

Cords
Elastic cords – This is very good for bracelets without clasps but you can use it for anything you wish. For instance, I just got some elastic cord to use in a hair accessory I’m making. I used regular thread for it at first, but the hair stick I got for it is a bit too big for the holes. I’ll let you know how this turns out, look out for pictures!

Leather/imitation leather cord – I’ve seen elegant but simple necklaces made with leather cord. Most of them were just a nice pendants strung on a leather cord that was tied at the ends or finished with a clasp.

Rayon cord – There’s so much you can do with this, it doesn’t have to be limited to stringing beads. Rayon cords come in many colors.

Satin – This comes in many colors too.

Twisted satin cord – The twisted satin cord is made of two satin cords twisted together. It comes in 3mm and 5mm sizes.
Bola Cord – I’ve seen this used more often in cowboy-style neckties.

Hemp cord – Hemp jewelry is in.

Other stringing materials
Fireline – This is used for fishing lines but the size 6 is perfect for beadwork and is very strong. The only drawback is that it kinks easily. When this happens, the fireline cannot be straightened and this will show in your jewelry pieces.

Ribbon – You can make very elegant jewelry with colorful and unusual ribbons.

We’ve covered tools, findings, and stringing material so far. Our next stop is beads!