Technique Guide • Technique Guide • Technique Guide • Technique Guide • Techni

Glossary
Seed beads Assorted shapes

Project Skill Levels

Beginner: Basic knowledge of some tools,
materials, and beads. Not yet proficient in
this type of work. Bugle beads
Intermediate: Working knowledge of
basic techniques, tools, and materials
needed to complete that particular pro- Pearls
ject. Ready to learn new techniques and
encounter some challenges.
Advanced: Experienced in the technique
or medium being used. Ready for a
challenge and looking to push beyond Faceted beads
existing skills.

Basic Beading Supplies (BBS)

Basic beading supplies, used in most Focal beads
projects, include a bead dish, beading
tray or cloth work surface, beading needles,
beading thread, thread conditioner,
scissors, and a ruler.
Furnace glass beads

Bead Sizes
Seed bead
Briolettes
(about 1.4mm) 4mm

E bead (about 4mm)

Crystal beads

6mm 8mm 10mm

Metal beads
Measurement Converter
mm inches

2
1
20

40

50
10

30
5

Ounces to Grams Converter

1oz. = 28.35g Lampwork beads

Common Jewelry Measurements Sterling/Bali silver beads

Choker: 16 in.
Princess length necklace: 18 in.
Matinee length necklace: 24 in.
Opera length necklace: 32 in.
Rope or lariat: 48 in.
Bracelet: 7 in.
Anklet: 9 in.
Bead Count Rondelles
Spacer beads
Beads are commonly sold in 16-in.
strands. Use this list to better calculate
bead amounts on any given strand. List is
based on a 400mm strand divided by the
bead size:
2mm 203 3mm 136
4mm 100 6mm 67
8mm 50 10mm 41

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French ear wires (fish hook)
Findings
Findings are components, often made of
Bead caps

metal, that are used to create the structure

in a piece of jewelry. Clasps, charms,
jump rings, head pins, and ear wires are
all examples of findings.
Ear posts
Clasps Cones

Lobster clasp

Toggle clasp
Other Bead tips

Findings
Crimp beads Crimp tubes

Hook and eye clasp Tools &

Supplies
Head pins Chain nose pliers

S-clasp

Jump rings
The pliers’ jaws are flat on the inside

Earring and rounded on the outside. The flat

surface creates right angle bends in
wire. The rounded outside makes

Findings Charms
rounded bends. Their tapered point
allows you to work in tight places.
Pliers’ tips look like this: D D

Lever back ear wires Bent chain nose pliers

The angled tip of these pliers is per-

fect for gripping wire or material in
hard-to-reach places.

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Crimp pliers Flat nose pliers Chasing Hammer

Striking wire with the

smooth face of the
The jaws of flat nose pliers are smooth hammer will compress
and can be used to grip, bend, and flat- the wire, causing it to
ten wire without marking it. harden. The resulting
These specialty pliers have two grooves
machined into the jaws and are made to flat wire creates an
crush and close (fold over) crimp interesting look in pro-
Beading scissors
beads/tubes. jects. Also, hardening
the wire will strength-
Flush cutters en the clasp or a curve
in an earring finding.

Metal file

A pair sharp, fine-pointed beading scissors

is a necessary tool if you're working with
beading thread. Their sharp blades make
a precise cut and will help prevent the
thread from fraying.
The cutting jaws are angled for an accu-
rate cut. Glue

Nylon jaw pliers

Use this tool to file the ends of your wires
after cutting them to eliminate rough
edges and to exhibit good workmanship
and attention to detail.
Glue is often used to give extra strength
and security to knots in beading thread. Beading needles
Cyanoacrylate glue is used to bond metal
parts together (such as a memory wire
These pliers are used to smooth wire out end cap to the end of a piece of memory
before use. Lightly grip the wire with the wire) in a jewelry piece.
nylon jaws and pull it through.
WigJig tool

Round nose pliers

The sizes of needles are indicated by

number; the most commonly used bead-
ing needle sizes are #10 and #12. Note:
The name refers to the shape of the pli- A WigJig tool creates and allows for Beading needles differ from ordinary
ers’ jaws. Use round nose pliers to create consistent shape and form of wire designs. sewing needles because the eye is nar-
loops and curves in wire. Most round It consists of a base with movable pegs rower to allow passage through
nose pliers’ jaws taper to a point, allow- placed over a design template. Wire is then a bead. The higher the number, the small-
ing you to vary the size of your loops and wrapped around the pegs as indicated on er the needle’s diameter.
bends. The plier’s tips look like this: OO the design for a precise look.
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Hammer block Bead design board Elastic or stretch cord
A design
board allows
you to plan
out jewelry
designs before
you begin
stringing. It
also keeps
your beads This stretchy material is easy to knot
Place under the wire when flattening to organized in and is often used to make stretch
serve as a solid surface and protect your one place on bracelets without clasps.
work area. your work
surface.
FireLine
Bead reamer

Stringing
Use a bead reamer to enlarge, straighten,
Material
or complete the hole in a bead or pearl. Flexible beading wire Originally developed for use only as
fishing line, FireLine has come to be
Flexible beading wire a common stringing material among
Millimeter gauge is made of a bundle bead weavers and produces strong,
of stainless steel sturdy beadwork.
wires coated in
nylon. Available in a Chain
variety of diameters
(.010"-dia. to .036"-
dia.) and in a range
of qualities (7-strand
to 49-strand), bead-
ing wire is mainly
A millimeter gauge will help you accu- used for stringing
rately measure all of your bead components. beads.

Nylon bead thread Chain is available in a number of sizes,

Bead storage
styles, and finishes. It is used as a base
for charm bracelets, as an extender at
the end of a necklace, or just as a
beautiful accent in jewelry pieces.

Leather cord

Bead thread is used when performing any

of the various bead stitches and in bead
embroidery.

Thread conditioner

Leather cord is a strong, natural

material that can be easily knotted
and braided to add an organic look
to a piece of jewelry.
Keep your beads safely stored in
A thread conditioner (such as beeswax or
compartmentalized bead boxes or in
synthetic beeswax) keeps the thread from
containers with lids so they're easily
fraying and protects it from water damage
accessible when you start creating!
and decay.

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Natural fiber cords
Wire Working 1.
Wrapping loops

A note about wire gauge and hardness:

Wire used in jewelry making ranges from
10-ga. to 36-ga. The smaller the gauge 1. Create a loop in a piece of wire, leav-
number, the thicker the wire will be. ing extra length at each end.
Dead-Soft wire is extremely flexible,
malleable, and can be easily bent into 2.
any shape. It will not maintain its shape
This type of stringing material is often under stress.
used to add artistic interest and a mixed- Half-Hard wire is malleable like dead-
media feel to a piece of jewelry. soft wire, but it will maintain its shape
under stress.
Full-Hard wire is tempered and will

Techniques easily hold its shape under stress.

Opening and closing jump rings 2. Hold one wire straight, and use chain
Crimping
nose pliers to wrap the second piece
Step 1: Slide a crimp bead onto the end around the first wire below the loop.
of the stringing cord and then through Tightly wrap as many times as desired and
one part of the clasp. trim.
Step 2: Thread the cord back through
crimp bead and the last bead you’ve Making loops
added. Tug on the end of the cord so the
crimp bead is between the last bead on 1.
the cord and the bead just before the
clasp. There should be a little bit of slack 2.
Use two pairs of chain nose pliers to open
so the clasp can flex when opened and
and close jump rings. Hold the upper
closed, but there shouldn’t be so much
edges of the jump ring near the opening;
slack that the stringing cord is too visible.
twist one plier towards you and twist the
Step 3: Crush the crimp by first gripping
other away to open the jump ring. To
the crimp with the second groove in the
close the jump ring, twist the pliers in the
crimping pliers (closest to the joint).
opposite direction to bring the ends back
Squeeze the pliers closed. Then, the 3.
together. Never pull the jump ring ends
crimp should be round on one side and
out to the side, spreading it into an oval.
indented on the other.
Step 4: Move the crimp to the first groove
in the crimping pliers (closest to the tips). Making spirals
Firmly squeeze the pliers closed.
1. Grasp wire with the chain nose pliers and
1. create a right angle bend, leaving a short
tail. Use the round nose pliers to grab
wire just past bend and twist to create a
wire circle around the jaw of the pliers.
Note: Vary the size of the loop by using
2. different parts of the pliers (nearer the tip
2. will create a smaller loop).

3.

1. Form a loop with round nose pliers.

2. Grasp the loop securely with chain
4.
nose pliers. Bend wire around initial loop
with fingers while turning pliers.

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Bead Stitches Brick stitch

Abbreviations:
PT = pass through
PBT = pass back through
Step 1: Base row: No stopper bead is
Stopper (tension) bead
needed. Thread a needle, condition the
Step 3: Flip the beadwork piece around
thread, and string on two beads, leaving a
horizontally and work the next row
6” tail. PT both beads again, stitching in
from left to right, starting by adding
the same direction. Position the beads so
two beads for the first row. When the
they are side by side, and hold them so
beadwork is completed, weave in the tail
A stop or tension bead is intended to keep the thread is coming down through the
and cut off excess thread.
loose beads from falling off and/or help second bead. Add a bead and PT the sec-
hold tension. Do not count this bead as ond bead from the top toward the bottom.
PT the third bead from the bottom toward
part of your project bead count. This bead
the top. Add the fourth bead and PT the
Even-count flat peyote
is removed after enough beads have been
added to anchor the thread. Leave a 6-in. third bead from the bottom up to the top.
tail to weave back through. Then PT the fourth bead from the top
Pass through the stopper bead from right through to the bottom.
to left and then again from right to left. Continue adding beads in this manner
until the base row is the desired length. Step 1: Start with a stopper bead (shown
This anchors the thread without tying in red). Then string on an even
knots. Note: Stopper beads are shown in Then stitch back through the row in a zig
zag manner to the beginning of the row. number of beads to the desired width.
red on these pages.
This strengthens the base row and will
make it more stable to handle.
Ladder stitch

Step 2: Add bead 7, and go through

bead 5. Add bead 8, and go through
bead 3. Add bead 9, and go through
bead 1.
Step 1: String through first bead, leaving a
4-in. tail. Go through a second bead, and
Step 2: Notice the threads that connect
then PT the first bead, from bottom to top.
the beads across the top and the bottom
PT the top of second bead, out the bottom,
of the base row. These threads are
and into the bottom of the third bead. Pull
stitched under to attach the additional
the thread out the top of the third bead,
rows. String on two beads to start a new
PBT the second bead (top to bottom), and
row. Pass the needle under the threads
up from the bottom of the third bead.
between the second and third bead from
back to front (the needle slides under the Step 3: Add bead 10, and go through
threads to anchor the beads). Pull the bead 9. Add bead 11, and go through
thread snug. PT the second bead you just bead 8. Add bead 12, and go through
added on the second row from the bottom bead 7. Continue this stitch until the
to the top. desired length is achieved.
Add another bead. Pass the needle under
the threads between the third and fourth
Step 2: Continue this pattern and PT every bead from back to front. Pull the thread
bead three times. snug, and PT the new bead from the bot-
tom to the top. Continue adding beads
until you reach the end of the row.

Step 3: After finishing the row, weave the

thread back through each bead (see bold-
ed line) for extra support.

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Square stitch zags you add, the more secure your

8 9
thread anchor is going to be.
2. Pull on excess thread tail that may be
Embroidery
7 5 4 3 2 1
sticking out of the first bead you entered
and cut it off very close to the beadwork.
Stitches
6

Blanket stitch
Step 1: Add a stopper bead (shown in red).
String on the desired width of beads. Add
bead #8 and needle through bead #7
Knots
from right to left. Needle through Overhand knot
bead #8 a second time, and add bead
#9. After passing through bead #9 from
left to right, secure by passing through Lazy-daisy stitch
bead #6 from right to left. Return through
bead #9 from left to right. Continue
adding beads in this manner. Surgeon’s knot

Securing and adding threads

Running stitch

Tie a straight knot as in the first step of a

square knot. Begin a second knot and wrap
one thread through the loop three times,
and then tighten. Refer to diagram at the
Securing a thread bottom of first column.
End your thread when you have about 6
or 7 in. left. This gives you enough length Half-hitch knot Whipstitch
to pass through several beads. It is always
easier to end a thread with more thread
length than you need, rather than too little.

Step 1: Pass through several beads on the With a needle and a doubled length of
edge of the beadwork, bringing the needle thread, pass through fabric from back to
out of an up bead. front, pass over (or through the edge of)
Step 2: Begin to pull the thread through item to be whipstitched (in this case, a
the bead, but stop when there is about a fiber), and pass back into the fabric.
2-in. diameter loop. Insert the needle Repeat down the length of the fiber.
through the loop.
Step 3: Pull the needle and thread so the
loop tightens up and the half hitch knot
created slips up and into the beadwork.
While holding bead fabric in left hand,
pull thread up through a bead. Go under Bead
You can help the loop move along with
the tip of your needle.
Step 4: Needle down through a couple
the base thread and back out, leaving a
loop on the bottom side. Bring needle up
through loop and slowly tighten. A dou-
Embroidery
more edge beads and add another half
hitch knot. Repeat this for a third half
ble half-hitch simply brings the thread up
through the loop twice.
Guide
hitch knot. Single Needle Couching
Step 5: Pull the thread taut and clip the
excess with your wire cutters as close to
the beadwork as possible. By pulling the
thread taut, the end of the thread will dis-
appear in between the beads.

Adding a new thread Bring needle and knotted thread up

1. Re-thread your needle and condition through fabric. String on beads for line
the thread. Pass through several beads in you wish to create. Working backwards,
the area where you stopped stitching, and come up through fabric between bead
work your way to the spot where the next 7 and 8 and bring needle over thread
bead will be added. The more zigs and and back through fabric. Repeat between
every few beads to secure in place.
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Backstitch Short bead stack • NEVER exceed recommended
baking temperature.
• Check the oven for stray clay
pieces after removing baking trays.

Bring needle up through fabric. String on Conditioning polymer clay:

five beads. Go back through fabric and • Polymer clay must be condi-
come up between bead 2 and 3. Pass back tioned before using. Conditioned
through beads 3,4, and 5 and repeat. Tall bead stack clay creates stronger and more
durable finished pieces.
• If you have a clay-dedicated
Picot stitch pasta machine, it is very easy to
condition polymer clay by flatten-
ing it into a pancake and running
it through your pasta machine.
Fold it in half, place the fold side
down, and run it through again.
Do this 20 to 25 times.
Fringe (on fabric) • To condition polymer clay with-
out a pasta machine, knead it with
your hands in any way that is
comfortable for you. You can cre-
ate snakes, twist it, or form it into
a pancake or ball.
Baking polymer clay:

Polymer Clay • Polymer clay needs to be baked

in your oven to harden. Follow the

Guide manufacturer’s directions listed on

the package.
• Place the item to be baked on
an oven-safe dish.
Basic polymer clay tips and techniques: • Using a paper-lined surface for
• Flatten clay with an acrylic rod, baking prevents shiny spots from
rolling pin, brayer, water glass, or pasta forming on the clay.
machine. • If you work on a ceramic tile,
Branch fringe • Cut clay with a craft knife, clay you can bake on it as well, and
blades, tissue blades, wallpaper blades, then the object does not need to
or ripple-cut blades. be moved for baking.
• Work with clay on acrylic sheets, bak- • Allow polymer clay to cool in the
ing parchment, wax paper, ceramic tiles, oven if possible. Always allow
drafting vellum, file folders, index cards, polymer clay to cool completely
or poster board. Never work on a wood- before continuing.
en surface. Polymer clay will damage a
wooden table.
• Keep your hands and all surfaces
clean. Polymer clay seems to attract dirt
and the light colors will show the dirt.
• Bake clay in a convection oven,
home oven (occasional baking), or
toaster oven (NO microwave).

Using polymer clay safely:

• Any tool or surface you use for clay
should not be used for food.
• Anything created or covered with
clay should not be used for food or
food handling.
• Wash hands after handling the clay
and before eating to remove the plasti-
cizer.

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