Whether you make necklaces, bracelets or use beads to add embellishment to clothing, beading tools can make life simpler. Many of the beads you work with may be quite small and difficult to get a grip on and holding them between your fingers while threading the wire can be like threading a needle blindfolded. Having the right beading tools for the job you are involved is an important step to a quality product.

When using some of the smaller beads with small needles, it may be necessary to use a needle threader and is one of the beading tools that no one should be without. While the needles can be stored in traditional pin cushions, storing them in a needle case made of wood will keep the handy. Additionally, if you have more than one size needle, having a separate case for each size can help keep them organized.

While technically not one of the beading tools, running a thread through bees wax can simplify the beading process and reduce the tension on the thread as it passes through the smallest beads. Gold and silver French wire is commonly used to finish off a string of pearl or other beads and this fine wire should be kept with all the other beading tools in your kit.

Protect Beading Projects From Tarnishing

For those who work with metal as well as plastic and glass beads, protecting the materials from moisture in the air can help maintain the material’s shine. With anti-tarnishing carbon strips in your beading tools box, all the jewelry you make will show off the shine as well as your ability and attention to detail.

When using thin thread for beads, many people knot every bead on the thread. In order to keep the knot tight without breaking, dig into the beading tools box and use a small pair of pliers, or the ones with a slight bend in them to help hold one side of the string while tightening the knot on the other side. Although not everyone will tie each bead, if the string breaks it limits the number of beads that will be bouncing around the floor.

Beading tools can be especially useful when handling small items such as the smallest beads or even wire and string, but should be kept in good repair and maintained properly. If they sit in an area of high humidity between uses, rust could be a problem and there is nothing wrong with storing them on anti-tarnishing strips to help keep them operational.

The internet is a wonderful tool. It allows virtually anyone in the world to connect with anyone else who owns a computer; they share any type of information, be it lessons on how to cook a turkey or a review of the latest blockbuster movie. In this case, the internet is being used to relay to you multitudes of information on beads, beading, and everything crafty.

Beading sites can be found simply by going to a search engine, be it Google or Yahoo or MSN, and typing in any kind of phrase that has the word ‘bead’ in it. However, since there are billions of websites out there, and I’m sure more than two or three mention the word ‘bead’, it would be helpful to have a small guide to tell you what the best beading sites are, so you can cut through all the fluff of search bars and go straight to the content that you are searching for.

Fire Mountain Gems

When you look at the link firemountaingems.com, you probably wouldn’t think that they do a very large bead business. You’d be wrong though, and you’d know it as soon as see their logo, which proudly exclaims that they are in fact a beading site. This website offers everything you could ever possibly want from a beading site. It has different ideas, designs, even materials for sale. Not only that, but the section of the site titled Beading University shows you great ways to learn new designs or enhance your beading skills.

KC Beading Designs

If you aren’t looking to create beaded artwork yourself, but you like the way it looks, then kcbeadingdesigns.com is right for you. This beading site offers thousands of different bead art and jewelry, all for sale through online credit card or your Pay Pal account. This website offers some of the most interesting beading designs I have ever seen, including beaded rings.

Aunt Molly’s Bead Street

Aunt Molly’s has this homey, classroom atmosphere that I love. This beading site focuses more on the teachings of beadwork, and while it does offer a small section of downloadable beading designs and pictures, the real important part is the classes. Aunt Molly offers actual classes to teach people how to become better at beadwork, and you can register by going to the site and following the instructions there.

There are hundreds of other beading sites on the internet, and it wouldn’t surprise me if even better ones than these began to show up in the near future. However, with these three pages at your disposal, you should have adequate instruction, materials, and plans to make yourself a good piece of beaded art.

A dress with exotic or colorful beads is usually admired by all around. The beads sparkle or dazzle with crystals, gemstones or colorful plastics. A purse enhanced with beads is usually the intricate work of a skilled person. All of the products that are enhanced with beading are more interesting because of the beads. The beads on the most beautiful items are applied by talented people who devise a beading pattern for their work before they start applying the first bead. The beading patterns could be the original creation of the person decorating the product, but it could also be a beading pattern made by others for their use.

Beading patterns could be used to add an accent around the collar of a garment or a border around the edge of a purse. These designs would take a limited number of beads, and they could be from a very simple design. Other beading patterns could be to cover an entire dress for an elegant wedding or social occasion. The beading patterns could be one from famous designers or from people working to become famous. The beading pattern will be made considering the type of materials that will be used. A beading pattern for an elegant dress beaded with diamonds or expensive crystals must be carefully designed to account for the budget.

Beading Patterns Are Made With The Budget In Mind

Each precious gemstone used in a beading pattern could cost a fortune. The pattern used to place the beads on one of these garments must account for each bead placed on it. There are many beautiful patterns available for those who would like to place beads on a special garment or purse. These provide a guide for the person in charge of the beading. This pattern is the equivalent of a road map that keeps the person in charge of the beading on track. The pattern will help the person place each bead in the appropriate color if necessary.

There are some beautiful patterns for beading that are available at specialty shops and websites devoted to beading. Some of these patterns are available without charge. Besides a guide to the color and shape, the pattern will guide the individual with information on starting points and other pertinent information. The beading patterns are often part of a kit to make a specific item. There are some wonderful kits that provide all of the instruction necessary for an elegant lampshade. Other guides include the information to make a glamorous necklace or some trendy earrings. These kits are usually designed by experts who can guide even a beginner.