Beading Techniques and Tips

Knotting Between Beads That Have Different Hole Sizes  So you have some favorite beads that you want to put in a necklace together, but there's one problem: Beads with different size holes.

This presents ...

Tip for Beading with Fishing Line  It’s always hard to see the tip of the fishing line when stringing beads. Do the following:

Use a black permanent marker and mark the tip of the fishing ...

A Different Knotting Technique  I am not physically able to knot pearl necklaces. So I have been turning down requests to restring pearl necklaces that require knotting. Since jewelry ...

Make Your Beading Beeswax Work Better  I beadweave quite alot and I always hated the chunk of hard beeswax I had to run my threads through. It came crumbling off in chunks that fell to the ground ...

Using Lampwork Beads When the Hole is Too Large  If the hole in your lampwork bead is too large, here's a way to "downsize" it.

Use hollow rubber cording, also called "jewelry tube" (available from ...

Re-Doing a Necklace for Comfort and Quality  This is a necklace that was given to me by my son, from a friend of his who traveled extensively throughout Asia. The piece was from India.

Originally,...

Shopping for Pearls in India  While I was in India in December 2009 with my colleagues from the Halma plc companies, we took a break from the work we were doing in the executive development ...

Don't Run Out of Room  Whether you are making a necklace or a bracelet, make sure you cut the length of your piece longer than you need it. There is nothing more frustrating ...

Buying Wholesale  I am interested in starting to purchase beads wholesale and begin the the process of selling my work. Any recommendations for reputable sites or how to ...

Wood Beads  Hi Rena and everyone.

This necklace I call Lemon Drop. I had the yellow and white nugget beads for quite awhile but couldn't find anything to go with ...

Cameos and Silky Light  This is the way to go. More than ordinary... I did several CAMEO because this is my new passion already for several weeks.

To make brooch sparkling ...

Help! Need Bali Bead Suppliers  I am trying to find some info on buying some of my Bali beads direct from Bali and was wondering if anyone knows of some reputable sellers.

A little ...

Where Do I Find Sapphire Beads?  My nephew (favorite nephew) asked for a pair of earrings for his girlfriend (first girlfriend - he's 15) with sapphires in them, because it's her birthstone....

Adding Bead Caps to Make Your Jewelry Pop  When I am making earrings, necklaces, or bracelets, I have found that the addition of bead caps really brings new attention to the bead and turns a plain ...

Make Beaded End Caps  Gold and silver prices are soaring out of control and some of my suppliers have actually stopped selling gold-filled cones and end caps which forced me ...

3 Tier Beaded Flower Tutorial  3 Tier Beaded Flower Tutorial
Materials:

150cm fishing line

100 gold size 8/0 hex beads (also known as 2 cut beads)

200 red size 8/0 seed ...

Free Netted Star Tutorial  Netted Star Tutorial
Materials:

4mm crystals, or other beads

Size 10/0 seed beads

Stopper bead, any color, will be removed later.

Fine ...

Keeping Your Knots in Place  When you tie a knot in some strings they come loose again. So to keep them stiff just add a little bit of clear nail polish to the knot and wait until ...

Straightening Griffon Silk or Nylon Beading Cord  Okay - I know Rena has asked us before to tell her what tools or other items we use in our beading / jewelry making in unconventional ways, and I wanted ...

Redesigning One Necklace into Two - To Err is Human  I had an idea for a necklace that would incorporate several jewelry design techniques: bead weaving pearl knotting wire-working chain maille.
I ...

Challenges with a Copper Chain Bracelet  This bracelet was fun to make. The copper reminds me of the sun and the crystals have a purple / midnight blue finish with a fiery splash of color.

I ...

How Would This Look if I Did it Another Way?  Sometimes you finish a piece and it looks good, but then you think, "How would this look if I did it another way?"

I made a bead crochet bracelet with ...

"BeadTool" Bead Design Software Fun  I love this new program, the BeadTool 4 ! I can "paint" forever and never tire of creating new designs to bead.

I love the ease of use and all the ...

Cha Cha Bracelet Tutorial 
Supplies
8mm Beads (50)

10mm Beads (50)

Headpins (88)

Cha Cha Bracelet (1)

Side Cutters

Round Nose Pliers

Flat Nose Pliers

How ...

String Small Size Pearls (or other beads) More Quickly   Recently, I strung a five-strand pearl torsade necklace using 5-6mm size pearls. (That's a lot of pearls!)

While stringing the first strand, I discovered ...

Beading Thread Tip  I used to get very frustrated when my Nymo (and other threads) would get tangled.

I do condition and stretch my thread prior to use, but was still having ...

Unique Way to Use Brass Connector on Seed Beaded Choker  I am a seed bead jewelry artist and was given a brass connector, manufactured by Vintaj,to use in a jewelry contest sponsored by the Texas Beaders Group ...

Using Chain on Earrings  One day I went out on a whim and bought Sterling chain of simple loops.

I didn't have enough to complete a full bracelet so I just cut the length and ...

A Better Bead Scoop  I have an alternative to those narrow metal bead scoopers found in most jewelry supply stores.

I use drinking straws! They cost just about nothing and ...

Knotting a Strand of Gemstone Beads  I purchased these faceted carnelian beads several years ago, and they were so beautiful I wanted to make sure I did something very nice with them.

At ...

How to Silk Wrap  Silk Wrapping is an age-old technique that is being used more recently on artisan jewelry. Sometimes it is done well... and sometimes not so well!

In ...