Your complete guide to beads and beadwork, by Katie Dean
The beading tips category includes posts that offer you helpful hints for beading. Some of these posts may also appear in other categories. So, for example, information about how to count rows. This would appear in the technique section for the stitch as well as in the tips.
Some of these beading tips are very specific to particular techniques. For example, a tip on starting tubular Peyote. Other advice is more general: perhaps some tips on improving your beading tension.
I welcome articles and tips from other beaders. So, if you have something useful to share, send me an email: beadflowers@btinternet.com and I can help you put together and publish an article about it.
If you have questions about the tips shared on here, leave a comment. If you’re looking for help and can’t find any tip that covers your question, then you can use this form to put in a request for some information.
As with all the sections on this website, I’m growing things all the time. So, please check back here regularly to find more help. You can also join the ‘Become a Better Beader’ group for free. That will make sure you see all the new articles and advice, so you don’t miss a thing. You’ll see the sign up form at the bottom of every page on the website. So, just add your details! Then look out for your monthly newsletter, full of all the latest beading news and help to guide you. Happy beading!
Today, I want to talk about something that might be holding your beading back. Big projects. Specifically, how to finish a big beading project without getting overwhelmed. Now, if you’re at all familiar with...
If you’re new to beading (or even if you’re not), you might be wondering what spirit beads are. So, let me start by explaining that, then tell you why you should love, not fear...
This post is in response to a question from a Better Beader member. She is a relatively new beader and has been finding that when she cuts her beading thread at the end of...
Before we plunge into these great tips for upcycled home décor using beads, I want to say thank you to Briana from Wayne County Housing, who has written this lovely article for us, sponsored...
In this part of my French beading blog series, we’re at the stage where you’re starting to learn. Now, what happens when any of us start learning something new? Things inevitably go wrong. So,...
So far in my French beading blog series, I’ve been trying to cover everything you need to know to get started. So, I’ve looked at materials, tools, techniques and how to read patterns. Now,...
This might seem like a strange topic for a blog post. Surely it’s obvious how to start bead weaving? But what do I mean? Are we talking about starting in a technique, or are...
Do you worry about whether your beading tension is right? Or do you know that you struggle with it? Well, I have one simple trick you can use to improve your beading tension from...
Finishing old threads and weaving in new ones has to be one of the most tedious parts of any beading project. Now, there are loads of different ways you can do this. So, I...
This might be the most important beading blog you ever read. I’m about to share the golden rule of beading (in my opinion). So, if you’re getting bogged down in techniques and terminology and...
Now, I’m going to be up-front here. The dryer sheet hack isn’t my invention! It’s a clever little trick I’ve heard a lot of beaders using. In fact, this post is really two clever...
Before you start to actually learn Right Angle Weave, there are some things I think you need to know. So, I’m writing this blog to help you with understanding Right Angle Weave structure and...
As I’m starting out on an exploration of the various different Right Angle Weave techniques, this seems like an obvious question. What are the best beads for RAW? If you’re very new to beading,...
Have you got questions about how to use jump rings in jewelry making? One of my ‘Become a Better Beader’ members does. So, I’m guessing she’s not the only one! Now, you can use...
This post is in answer to a question from the ‘Become a Better Beader’ group (you can use this link to join for free if you’re not already a member). One member was keen...
I’m writing this post in response to a particular question from a Facebook group. How do you go about reading dimensional Peyote patterns? Surprisingly, this is not an easy question to answer. Beading patterns...
So, you’ve heard people mention these techniques. Maybe you’ve heard them talk about some similarities. So, peyote vs brick stitch… What actually is the difference? How do you know which of these techniques you...
Picture this: you have a new beading pattern that lists 20 IrisDuo beads in the materials. So, you pop to your LBS, or search online and find a shop selling IrisDuo beads. They sell...
You might think that counting Peyote rows is easy. And it is, provided you know this critical trick… Before I share it, let me back up and talk about… Peyote stitch structure If you...
I’ve taught a lot of beginners now and one of the first things they ask is, naturally, what beads to use. Well, that depends on the kind of beading you want to do. So,...
The early part of the year always feels like a time for new beginnings. I think one of the ways a lot of beaders make a new beginning is by looking at their beading...
As I write this post, the beading community is reeling from the discovery of several scam beading websites. I would like to say this will be an isolated incident that we can clear up....
Does your jewellery making repertoire include bracelets? If you said ‘yes’, then you need to read this. Sizing bracelets is never as easy as you might think. So, in this article, I am going...
Have you ever sat down with a new beading pattern and wanted to make it in your own colours? Then, your next thought was probably ‘which bead colours work together for this?’ Did you...
Whether you’re lucky enough to have a full room, or even just a permanent space, dedicated to beading, you will need some bead storage furniture. So, I am going to share some links to...
If you’re reading this because you already love French beading, then you probably know about the basic tools. But, did you know there is a whole set of free French beading tools? I use...
When I started using Pinterest, I never realised how critical it would become for my beading. I work a lot as a designer and Pinterest is a brilliant tool for helping me there. However,...
I came up with this idea after watching so many people struggle with starting Tubular Peyote. If you have ever tried this, you will understand what I mean. If you haven’t, then I do...
When you start beading, the different seed bead sizes can be very confusing. Worse than that, it turns out that the same size of seed bead can actually vary a little bit from brand...
So, you already make and design your own beadwork and you want to teach your designs to others. Or maybe you are a beader and have an interested friend and you want some advice...
The first rule of bead colour combinations is there are no rules! Well, that’s not strictly true – scientists and artists have spent years trying to work out colour theory so they can create hard...
What are beading patterns? This may sound like a blindingly obvious question, so I hope the answer won’t surprise you. Beading patterns are the instructions for making a project using beads. This could be...
As my beading has evolved, I’ve found new ways to end beading thread. I have also experimented with different types of beading thread and have found that different threads sometimes need different ways of...
Beading patterns can be a little confusing if you are a complete novice. Like any other craft, beading has its own language and terminology that might seem strange when you start out. Here I’ve...
Beading classes, books and magazines used to be the only way you could learn about beading techniques, tools and materials, but since the expansion of the internet, it is possible to learn from videos in...
If you are looking to publish your beading or jewellery designs, you have several options. The most obvious is publishing in a magazine. This is relatively easy in that you will be creating a single design...
Beading competitions range in size and format from events run at your local bead shop or by your local beading group to huge international competitions that will attract top designers. I’ve been thinking a...
How to thread a needle? …It sounds like a pretty simple task, that is, unless you’ve ever tried it! This post looks specifically at beading needles, but the advice it offers on how to...
Whenever you make a piece of jewellery, you will need to decide how to fasten it. This usually means using a clasp of some variety. Once you have decided which clasp you are going...
Believe it or not, a needle is not just a needle! For starters, if you are planning to start bead-weaving, you will need to use a beading needle. These needles differ from ordinary sewing...
Beadwork colour schemes present one of the greatest challenges when starting a new beading project. It’s not a problem if you’ve bought a kit or you’re following a pattern where the colour scheme has been...
I’m actually going to answer that question with another question: what is the purpose of your clasp? The answer may sound obvious: to fasten a necklace or bracelet. Of course this is why you’re...
